Labour councillors and activists have recently welcomed the Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy to Reading for a campaign stop.
Mr Lammy, the deputy PM and justice secretary for the Labour government, met Labour councillors and candidates during a campaign visit ahead of the Reading Borough Council elections this year.
After meeting up at the council offices in Bridge Street, he joined Labour members for canvassing in the Battle ward, which covers the lion’s share of Oxford Road and the surrounding neighbourhoods.
Liz Terry (Labour, Coley), the leader of the council, said: He came to visit and meet with the candidates for the forthcoming elections.
It was a political visit to meet the candidates on a national campaign day and he also came out campaigning with us in Battle ward, particularly around Kensington Park.
We met at the civic offices, where he spoke to our candidates, wished them well and encouraged them to let residents know about the great things we’re doing in Reading.
Sitting cllr Jacopo Lanzoni (Labour, Caversham) called the visit “an honour and a privilege”, and fellow cllr Rachel Eden (Labour Whitley said: “It was all about getting out and campaigning – we welcomed Mr Lammy to Reading this morning and Team Whitley were out chatting to residents this lunchtime.
“If you want to help stop the populist right – come and join us!”
The local elections will take place to elect a third of councillors in Reading Borough on Thursday, May 7.
Votes will take place to elect councillors in all 18 wards, after the political map of the town was redrawn for the all-out election in 2022.
There was no election in Reading in 2025 due to it being a fallow year.
Battle ward, which Mr Lammy visited, is set to be competitive.
Cllr Sarah Hacker, the incumbent who is up for election, is an Independent after she was expelled from the Labour Party in 2023.
Pratikshya Gurung has been selected as the Labour candidate for the ward.
Mr Lammy is the Labour MP for Tottenham.
