READING’S Conservatives are busy campaigning to restore their place as the official opposition in the town.
In last year’s all-out local elections, the Conservatives lost some seats to Labour to end up with six councillors, and the Greens made gains so they had one more representative in the chamber.
Conservative leader Clarence Mitchell says despite this switch in roles, it’s been business as usual.
“In practical terms, it’s made no real difference. We are still committed to serving the people of Reading and delivering a strong voice to hold the Labour administration to account,” he adds. “The Greens make great play of the fact they are the second largest group and the official opposition, but in day-to-day meetings, in committees and in the chamber, we still act as if we are an equally effective opposition voice.
“The Labour administration take us as seriously as they did before the change last year.
“Obviously we’re campaigning hard to reverse our position.”
Labour has 32 seats – two-thirds of the chamber. Is such a large majority dangerous for democracy?
“I’m always careful not to criticise the electorate, they have made that decision, and choose to maintain the Labour administration in Reading as they have done for many years now,” Clarence says. “In one sense it’s not good to have an overall majority of such scale for any party. It can lead them believing they had carte blanche to do as they wish. They would point at their mandate and say they’re justified in doing so.
“But for an effective, functioning democracy, local or national, it needs the check and balance of opposing voices to challenge and push back on policies where we think we may have a better alternative and to highlight errors and mistakes.
“I would expect Labour to do the same if the situation was reversed …
“People continue to vote for them in Reading, we obviously hope they will vote in greater numbers of us, but that’s up to us to win the argument with our manifesto and with our day-to-day performance as serving councillors in those wards where we do represent the electorate.”
Because of the size of Labour’s majority, even if the Conservatives were to win all 17 seats being contested on May 4, it wouldn’t change the balance of power. However, Clarence believes that a stronger Conservative voice in the chamber would be beneficial.
“If we really believed that we couldn’t win, why would we waste time, energy and campaign money putting candidates up across Reading? We feel it’s important that everybody who may wish to vote for us has that choice,” he says. “The reality is that certain areas are traditionally Labour strongholds, but we’re in this to win.
“We are fighting hard to increase our representation across the board.”
The party has prepared a manifesto so voters know what they would get if they voted Conservative.
“We’ve got some ideas where we would hope to build on Reading’s success as a town. Where Labour has succeeded in certain areas, we’re more than happy to commend them, and where we feel they could be doing something differently we say that as well.”
Clarence’s top priority is to look at the council’s finances and see if council tax burden can be reduced.
“We feel that Labour always push it to the absolute limit every year to get the maximum 5% rise they’re legally allowed to go for without triggering a local referendum. In this current cost of living crisis, people are facing an even stiffer council tax bill at a time when they can probably least afford it.
“We feel there are ways of freezing council tax rise or, at least, reducing it if possible.
“It should be done in an affordable way. We feel there’s a moral case to keep that expenditure level down for people. Labour would say to us how would fund it, we would look at the budget, look at the spending of the council and where there is a surplus. This year alone, Reading received £1.8 million more in the local government settlement than they’d been expecting. There has been various government moneys flowing in from various directions to invest in the town.
“Labour have been able to put in £6 million or so into the reserves this year. We would argue that should have gone to offset the council tax expenditure to freeze or fractionally reduce people’s bills.”
Another policy is to create more affordable homes. Labour want to see 400 built, and the Conservatives want more than that.
“This is about helping people into the security of owning their own home where possible,” Clarence explains. “Labour has agreed many, many new tower blocks and very expensive flats in the centre of Reading, which are wonderful if you can afford them. But the average person on a fairly low wage, or first-time buyers, younger people, will find them prohibitive – they just can’t move into them.
“It’s all very well having a super slick town centre, but we need to see more affordable, basic homes around the town to enable people to get a foothold on the house ladder, and to build a sense of community.
“We don’t feel that flats, as nice as they may be, offer the chance to put down roots in the way a family home does, or for a couple, or even a single person. Flats tend to change hands at a greater rate.”
The party also opposes unsustainable development. Is this at odds with their affordable homes policy?
“Nobody is against new homes,” Clarence says. “As Reading expands, there will need to be new homes for people to live in. The question is where and how they will be built.”
And, with a nod to the 4,000 people who opposed plans to build homes on the former Reading Golf Club site, the Conservatives say they want local support for any development to go ahead.
“We would want to see smaller packets of homes in areas where there is more community acceptance,” he continues, saying the planning committee have to weigh up every single application to ensure it meets the right criteria.
But … “We are a packed town certainly north of the river. There are areas to the south where there could be slightly larger developments and we’re not against those. It’s a question of suitable homes in suitable locations.”
The party is also in favour of good active transport solutions. At the moment, Clarence feels Labour’s solutions is not joined up – “they dribble out to nothing in some roads” – while others, such as Sidmouth Street, aren’t used as much as people should expect.
“Labour protests that joining them up is coming, but we want to see far more action on that. We would not only make cycle lanes a priority, we would be very careful about where we put any more.”
He wants the council to shake-up waste collection as well, calling for glass recycling from the kerb.
“Why have many other local authorities, not least West Berkshire, been running this successfully for years?” he asks. “It works, it’s effective, and it’s a no brainer. Yes, there are cost implications but with competent management of the budget money can be allocated to it.”
He says adult social care isn’t included in their manifesto as the government is acting on reforms, which have been delayed, but is “a helpful step in the right direction”.
The party also wants to see the situation of Reading Gaol’s future resolved, saying the plans for it to become an arts centre have cross party support.
“We want the gaol to become a nationally renowned cultural landmark, we can have huge events there that could become another reason for the Reading pin on the map to really stand out.
“We don’t just want to be a town in the shadow of London, we are a business centre, we want Reading to find its own voice, its own identity and be a much clearer place in the national consciousness.
“The first step to that is running an effective, cost effective, economically competent council that can start to deliver on all of these aspects to make Reading the place we all want it to be.”
So why should people vote Conservative on May 4?
“Labour have been in charge for well over a decade, if not longer. Do you feel that Reading is a better place for it? Do you feel that your money is being spent sensibly?
“Do you see the improvements that Labour will tell you they’re making in your day-to-day life?
“We would argue that you’re not. We would change things to make sure that you do.
“Your council tax will be frozen or lowered, you will have a recognition of the government support that’s coming into Reading for the £26 million that’s keeping buses on the roads. Labour don’t recognise the £19.1 million coming to rebuild The Hexagon and move the central library.
“That’s all happening, thanks to the government.
“We would ensure that where funding is available, we would get our fair share and argue for far more. As Conservative councillors, we would have the ear of government to make that case even more strongly than that which government would consider to be a relatively hostile administration.”
He also wants to ensure roads and verges are safer and better maintained.
“We believe it’s time for us to be given a chance to do that on your behalf.”
