2023 result
LABOUR HOLD. Ama Asare receives 997 votes and replaces the retiring Nusrat Sultan.
2022 result
Polling stations
- New Hope Community Church Centre, 95 York Road, Reading
- Thameside Primary School, Harley Road, Caversham
The candidates
Ama Asare, Labour
I have lived in Reading since 2017, am settled here and proud to call Reading my home. I am a Family Childcare Lawyer by profession, active in my church community and honoured to be the Labour candidate for Thames Ward at the May 2023 Local Elections.
As a child I was raised by a single parent mother and can relate to the struggles that families from all walks of life are now facing as a result of the cost of the living crisis. I believe that a Labour Council will support the community as the Conservative Government is failing us.
I enjoy helping people and solving their problems and I am a passionate campaigner for upgrading green spaces, education, raising awareness of mental health issues, tackling crime and anti-social behavior and dealing with poor housing conditions. My other interests include nature, gardening, volunteering, music, swimming, history and enjoying the benefits of meditation.
By using my legal skills and experience I believe that I can stand up for the community, support those in need and become an integral voice in Thames Ward. I believe in accountability and as I lobby and address the issues that are important to people I will give feedback on council activity.
Mike Harling, Green
Mike Harling has lived in Reading for ten years. He has worked for people with learning disabilities and managed a service supporting people with drug and alcohol dependencies. In his spare time, Mike is a keen park runner who also enjoys a good walk in nature.
Green councillors and candidates are working for a fairer, greener, more affordable town.
Greens did so well at the council elections last year that we overtook the Conservatives becoming the second largest party on Reading’s Labour-run council (32 Labour councillors, 7 Green, 6 Conservative and 3 Lib Dem). Labour have a very large majority of councillors but it is very close between Greens and Conservatives for second place.
Vote Green at the council elections on Thursday 4 May for hard work year-round but also to keep the Green Party ahead of the Conservatives as the main opposition party on Reading Council.
Get involved with the campaign. We will only win with your help.
Shivraj Hawaldar, Conservative
Jo Ramsay, Lib Dem
Dr Jo Ramsay has lived in Caversham for 22 years and has a PhD in electronic engineering; she has re-trained as an advocate working with older people and adults with learning disabilities. She is keen that local services and amenities are made accessible to all, and that local voices are heard when decisions are being made about our communities.
In Jo’s own words:
I have lived and worked in the Caversham area for over 21 years, first moving here after I got my PhD in electronic engineering to work in the thriving telecoms industry in the Thames Valley. I later, in my 40s, retrained as a social worker after a sabbatical period when I volunteered as a general advisor with Reading CAB, and realised that community work was what I really wanted to be doing.
Currently I am working as an advocate across Berkshire, supporting older people and adults with learning disabilities to have their voices heard by services. I am passionate about making local services and facilities more accessible to all, and protecting our beloved local green spaces that have been such a lifeline during the last year.
Like so many other residents, I worry about the levels of traffic in this area, and the associated issues with air quality and parking. So many politicians for so many years have promised us that our problems will be solved by a third Thames bridge, which still shows no signs of happening, so we need to do something different that doesn’t involve concreting over our green spaces. I share your concerns about poor public transport and community facilities in the area that have vanished.
I believe it is time for our brilliant grassroots communities and local activists to take the lead – if I am elected to Reading Borough Council, I will work hard to listen and be available for local residents, and fight for the support we need in Thames ward.
