A former senior councillor in Reading has quit Labour to join the Green Party.
Ashley Pearce was a Labour councillor between 2014 and 2022. He was the lead member for education on Reading Borough Council for four years.
He said he made this decision because Labour has changed to become more like the Conservatives and no longer represents his values.
Mr Pearce explained that he wants to work in a party that is honest about the challenges ahead but also full of hope for a better future.
He believes the Green Party is the only party that truly stands up for tackling inequality, promoting and funding education, action on the climate crisis and working for a more peaceful world.
Mr Pearce said: “Labour has moved away from the values that first inspired me to get involved in politics.
“As a teacher and union rep, Labour recommending a real terms pay cut to my profession hurt.
“But this is happening everywhere. I have seen too many people ignored by the Labour government, renters, families facing real struggles with the cost-of-living crisis and those killed in Gaza.
“I have joined the Green Party because they offer honesty, fairness, and real hope for a better future for people and the planet. The Greens listen. They act. And they speak up for communities who deserve better.”
Councillor Rob White, leader of the Greens, the main opposition party on the council, expressed “delight” that Mr Pearce has joined them.
Cllr White (Green, Park) said: “We are very happy to welcome Ashley to the party. He has always worked hard for local people, and it is clear how much he cares about doing the right thing.
“The Green Party continues to grow as more people realise we are the only party offering real change, real kindness, and real action. Ashley will be a great strength for our movement here in Reading and Wokingham.
“The more people who get involved with the Green Party the more of a difference we can make. You can get involved here: https://reading.greenparty.org.uk/get-involved.”
Mr Pearce represented Church ward during his tenure, which covers the eastern portion of Whitley, stretching from Christ Church to the Shinfield Road shops at the boundary with Wokingham Borough.
He retired from the council at the end of the 2021/22 municipal year.
At a meeting in March 2022, then-council leader Jason Brock said: “He [Mr Pearce] has done an incredible job in building relationships between the council and the borough’s schools, especially during the challenges of the pandemic.
“I think the headteachers will miss him as much as the [Labour] group will.”
