By Cllr Rob White
As I write this world leaders, climate groups and activists are meeting in Egypt on tackling climate change.
In Reading the Green Party has been keeping up the pressure on the Labour-run council to tackle climate change and address the cost of living crisis through better insulated homes – cutting bills and carbon.
Before our gas and electricity bills went up 7,000 Reading households were struggling to heat their homes. Estimates are that this number could triple.
The council recently received money from the government for energy efficiency measures for houses with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of D or below.
For more information, please email: energyfunding@reading.gov.uk or call Reading Borough Council on: 0118 937 3787.
This money comes hot on the heels of Labour-run Reading Council having to hand back £500,000 of insulation money.
We will keep up the pressure for them to do better this time.
Green campaigner Kate Nikulina calls on Labour Council to show pride in its LGBTQI+ communities
With many of us cheering on our teams in the upcoming football tournament, all eyes will be on Qatar, and sadly on its lamentable human rights record.
Green campaigner Kate Nikulina thinks that Reading Labour should end the council’s practice of investing in the nation of Qatar.
Kate says: “It’s about acting in a way that sets an example and investing in a country that makes homosexuality illegal is just wrong.
“Labour should stop investing in Qatar.
“We need to celebrate our LGBTQI+ communities and show how proud we are.”
Green councillor Josh Williams welcomes new cycle hub to Reading town centre
After years of poor investment, cycling in Reading is often a case of dodging cars and fumes in gridlocked traffic.
Green councillor Josh Williams thinks that more should be done to invest in our cycling infrastructure, joining lanes together and making cycling a great choice for travel.
Josh says: “We welcome the new cycling hub in town at the old Primark building.
“Safe storage and somewhere to fix a tyre will be very useful.
“We would correct the years of underinvestment and make our roads work for bikes.
“A Green-run council would be very different to a Labour one.”
Greens are the second largest party in Reading
Fortunately, there’s now real, constructive opposition to Labour on Reading council. Following the local elections in May there are now more Green councillors than Conservatives.
There is a growing team of hard-working Green councillors standing up for residents across the town.
If you’re keen on being part of the change in Reading, get involved and help us make Reading fairer, greener and cleaner: reading.greenparty.org.uk/get-involved
By Green councillor Rob White, leader of the main opposition group on Reading Borough Council and Park ward member
