• Make a contribution
  • Get the Print Edition
  • Sign up for our daily newsletter
Sunday, July 27, 2025
  • Login
Reading Today Online
  • HOME
  • YOUR AREA
    • All
    • Caversham
    • Central Reading
    • East Reading
    • Katesgrove
    • Reading
    • Southcote & Coley
    • Tilehurst & Norcot
    • Whitley

    Restaurant closed for 7 years to be turned into bar and eatery

    PRIDE OF READING AWARDS: Derry raises awareness of Reading’s good people

    PRIDE OF READING AWARDS: Derry raises awareness of Reading’s good people

    PRIDE OF READING AWARDS: Meet the sponsors – Kingdom Rooms

    PRIDE OF READING AWARDS: Meet the sponsors – Kingdom Rooms

    FROM THE LEADER: New Studio Theatre at the Hexagon

    PCC allocates nearly £2M in Home Office funding to counter serious violence in Thames Valley

    The Barberettes Shine at International Choir Competition in Europe

    Reading Rep announces team behind next production, The Last Five Years

    Reading Biscuit Factory set to celebrate fourth birthday

    Orthodox Bishop of Great Britain attends Reading church for major celebration

  • COMMUNITY
  • READING FC
  • SPORT
    • All
    • Basketball
    • Football
    • Rugby

    Reading FC star Knibbs set to make Championship move as fee is agreed

    Reading FC confirm new signing as midfielder joins on permanent deal

    Former Reading FC loanee joins rivals

    Reading FC sign German attacker on permanent deal

    Reading and Chelsea legend Kerry Dixon set for Q&A at Purple Turtle

    Ex-Reading star Ejaria on trial with former Royals manager

    League One side set to win race for former Reading FC young star

    Reading FC opinion: Where are the goals coming from this season?

    Reading FC midfielder Knibbs linked with Championship move

  • ENTERTAINMENT
    • ARTS
    • READING FESTIVAL
    • READING PRIDE
    • WOKINGHAM FESTIVAL
  • PRIDE OF READING
  • OBITUARIES
  • JOBS
  • ADVERTISE
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Reading Today Online
No Result
View All Result
Home Featured

Green Party calls on local MP to ‘do the right thing’ over Partygate

Phil Creighton by Phil Creighton
Friday, February 4, 2022 10:56 am
in Featured, Politics, Reading
A A
Alok Sharma, the MP for Reading West Picture: UK Parliament

Alok Sharma, the MP for Reading West Picture: UK Parliament

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A GREEN party councillor is calling for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign, and is urging Reading West MP Alok Sharma to back his stance.

This week saw the publication of an interim statement from senior civil servant Sue Gray into a number of parties held at 10 Downing Street during the covid pandemic.

Several of these are currently being investigated by the Metropolitan Police, so the full report has yet to be published.

However, it does point to “failures of leadership and judgment” and “serious failings”.

Cllr Jamie Whitham, who represents Redlands ward, says that with Boris Johnson accused of lying to Parliament over the numerous parties, it is past the time that he should resign.

“Boris Johnson’s desperate attempts to cling onto power are making a mockery of our democracy,” he said.

Related posts

Changes made to Reading council tenancies for first time in nearly 10 years

Restaurant closed for 7 years to be turned into bar and eatery

A huge crowd at Englefield House for the The Beach Boys’ only UK show of the year

PRIDE OF READING AWARDS: Derry raises awareness of Reading’s good people

“The vast majority of people now think he should resign because of his shameful behaviour, and yet our local MP Alok Sharma has been curiously silent on the matter.

“The voters of Reading deserve to know what Mr Sharma thinks of the Prime Minister’s behaviour.”

He felt that Boris Johnson had shown failure of leadership over the issue, which is “not only damaging trust in public health measures, but allowing other very urgent issues that are spiralling out of control to be neglected, including the cost of living, potential war in Ukraine, and the climate crisis.”

“For the good of the country Johnson must go, and I find it deeply worrying that Mr Sharma appears to be placing a misguided party loyalty ahead of the interests of Reading and the nation.”

Cllr Whitham’s calls follow on from similar calls made last month by Cllr Graeme Hoskin, Labour’s lead councillor for health on Reading Borough Council.

“In 2020, 224 Reading people died from coronavirus,” he said. “We now know that at the same time Boris Johnson, his wife and team enjoyed lockdown-busting boozy parties at No 10.”

He added: “I am calling on Alok Sharma, Conservative MP for Reading West, to join me in condemning this disgusting behaviour, in demanding a full and honest account of what happened, and in calling for an apology to every single one of us in Reading who has suffered over these last two years.”

Reading West MP Mr Sharma has not commented publicly since a tweet on January 12, which read: “The Prime Minister was right to apologise. We now need to let Sue Gray complete her investigation.”

Reading East MP Matt Rodda has already shared his concerns over partygate, saying the government had let people down.

“People are really very annoyed with Boris Johnson and Conservative sleaze,” he said.

The Green Party in Reading feel that replacing Boris Johnson is also a risk.

“We should be under no illusion that just getting rid of Boris Johnson will fix the culture of hypocrisy and entitlement that has taken hold in our political system,” Cllr Whitham said.

“I am worried that we will end up with one charlatan replacing another.

“Whoever is our next Prime Minister should be subject to rigorous scrutiny. They should not, like Boris Johnson and his colleagues, apparently see no problem in lying to the public and to other MPs.”

Alok Sharma’s office has been contacted for a comment.

Keep up to date by signing up for our daily newsletter

We don’t spam we only send our newsletter to people who have requested it.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Previous Post

Save the date! Reading Buses announces return of open day … and the rides through the bus wash

Next Post

Abbey Women 1st XV 17-50 Bath Ladies 1st XV: Abbey beaten by title contenders

FOLLOW US

POPULAR STORIES

  • Former Reading FC striker Andy Carroll joins new club in England after leaving France

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 47-year-old woman arrested after two pedestrians die in road traffic collision in Caversham

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Masked men armed with weapons rob store in Reading

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • League One side set to win race for former Reading FC young star

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Reading FC forward given ultimatum over future at the club

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

RDG.Today – which is a Social Enterprise – provides Reading Borough with free, independent news coverage.

If you are able, please support our work

Click Here to Support RDG.Today

ABOUT US

Reading Today is dedicated to providing news online across the whole of the Borough of Reading. It is a Social Enterprise, existing to support the various communities in Reading Borough.

CONTACT US

news@wokinghampaper.co.uk

Reading Today Logo

Keep up to date with our daily newsletter

We don’t spam we only send our newsletter to people that have subscribed

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

The Wokingham Paper Ltd publications are regulated by IPSO – the Independent Press Standards Organisation.
If you have a complaint about a  The Wokingham Paper Ltd  publication in print or online, you should, in the first instance, contact the publication concerned, email: editor@wokingham.today, or telephone: 0118 327 2662. If it is not resolved to your satisfaction, you should contact IPSO by telephone: 0300 123 2220, or visit its website: www.ipso.co.uk. Members of the public are welcome to contact IPSO at any time if they are not sure how to proceed, or need advice on how to frame a complaint.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • MY AREA
    • Central Reading
    • East Reading
    • Bracknell
    • Calcot
    • Caversham
    • Crowthorne
    • Earley
  • COMMUNITY
  • SPORT
    • Reading FC
    • Football
    • Rugby
    • Basketball
  • ENTERTAINMENT
    • ARTS
    • READING FESTIVAL
    • READING PRIDE
    • WOKINGHAM FESTIVAL
  • PRIDE OF READING
  • OBITUARIES
  • JOBS
  • ADVERTISE
  • CONTACT US
  • SUPPORT US
  • SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
  • WHERE TO GET THE PRINT EDITION

© 2021 - The Wokingham Paper Ltd - All Right Reserved.