LOCAL ELECTIONS May 2
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Polls are open 7:00am to 10:00pm LOCAL ELECTION SPECIAL APRIL 2019 News from Reading Labour Party
/ReadingLabour @ReadingLabour www.readinglabour.org.uk LABOUR’S MANIFESTO FOR READING
Reading’s Labour Council continues to do its best to keep vital services available to those who need them most despite the ongoing onslaught on public services by the Tory Government.
We remain ambitious for Reading. We are fiercely proud that Reading is one of the most successful ABBEY BATTLE CAVERSHAM CHURCH local economies in Britain and we will continue to work closely with residents and local business to plan Mohammed AYUB Chris MASKELL Ayo SOKALE Paul WOODWARD Reading’s future. Fighting For Reading
KATESGROVE KENTWOOD MINSTER NORCOT Liam CHALLENGER Glenn DENNIS Paul GITTINGS Graeme HOSKIN Labour working for Reading all year round. -
FOR THE MANYFOR NOT THE FEW Our Record Our Promises to Reading We will: New high-quality Council houses built Secure the economic success of Reading Enforce our local Private Sector Rental Building temporary housing to stop the strategy to ensure bad landlords are held PARK PEPPARD REDLANDS SOUTHCOTE use of B&Bs to account Amjad TARAR Oliver WHITE Mo MCSEVNEY Jason BROCK New train station at Green Park planned Build more Council houses Restoration of Abbey Ruins Build a new secondary school in Reading New extra-care housing for the elderly Work to a public-health-driven transport New primary schools built in Reading agenda and further reduce Reading’s Car- bon Footprint Increased the items that can be recycled Work towards the introduction of food The award-winning Council-owned waste recycling Reading Buses Provide additional Special Educational Two-way traffic under Cow Lane bridges School places in Reading Kept our Libraries open across the town Invest £1.5m in our parks and play areas New Community hubs in Whitley, South- over the next 3 years THAMES THAMES TILEHURST WHITLEY cote and Lower Caversham Build new swimming pools at Rivermead Boubacar DEMBELE Ben PERRY Ali FOSTER Micky LENG and Palmer Park
Fighting For Reading - FOR THE MANY NOT THE FEW make a positive choice on 2 May and vote LABOUR Promoted by John Ennis on behalf of Reading Borough Labour Candidates, all of Reading and District Labour, Office 34, 62 Portman Road, Reading RG30 1EA Printed by SaxoPrint Great West House, Great West Road, London, TW8 9HU. Labour Council Declares Climate Change Emergency Brexit Chaos Jo Lovelock Reading Borough Council has joined 40 other UK The impact on Reading of the un- Leader of the Council writes: councils in declaring a climate change emergency. certainty following the Brexit refer- Reading Council is committed to playing as full a role endum and botched attempts by Reading’s New Special School to replace as possible in achieving a carbon neutral Reading by the Conservative government to Labour the old building for Phoenix Col- 2030. The Local Transport Plan and Climate Change resolve it are having a real impact: Council is lege Strategy will be revised as a matter of urgency. continuing to X EU citizens living in Reading A new railway station at Green We are also calling on the government to give us the do its best to are unsure of their status Park additional powers and funding needed to become car- keep vital services going for those bon neutral by 2030. X Staff returning to their EU who most need them, despite the Programme of replacement play- countries has worsened the Tory Government’s continuing ground equipment in parks and Cllr Tony Page says: “Most people accept that the crisis in the NHS “austerity”. better accessibility for children world is now clearly in the midst of a climate emergen- with disabilities. cy. Reading’s Labour Council has a good record of de- X Our local businesses, both This year the Council Tax livering action on climate change, and has reduced its large and small, have been increase is one of the lowest We have candidates from many dif- own carbon dioxide emissions by 53% since 2008 with unable to plan locally and nationally at just ferent backgrounds standing for emissions in the Borough down by 41%. This is more under 3%. The average rise is election on Thursday 2 May. They While locally your Labour Council- than all but 19 of the 405 authorities in Great Britain. 4.5%. are eager to get on delivering lors have stood up for Reading’s Labour’s ambitious programme for Amjad Tarar [Park], Mohammed Ayub [Abbey], and Mo Nevertheless we recognise that more concerted and residents, solving this needs na- We have been very successful in McSevney [Redlands] at Cemetery Junction. This is one of the Reading. urgent action is needed at local, national and interna- tional leadership so the Labour par- obtaining special funding for specific most polluted and congested junctions in Reading and the tional level to protect our planet for future generations. ty has backed a final say for the projects – this is money which can- Please vote for your local Labour whole country. Labour will be talking to residents about how That is why Reading Council has committed to not be spent on day to day services candidate to keep Reading we can develop a new Transport Strategy that will help reduce public on the deal. Most voters in achieving a carbon neutral Reading by 2030.” like street cleaning, libraries and moving forward. both and meet our target for 2030. Reading voted remain last time and Theresa May's deal is unpopular youth clubs. on all sides. Some of the projects we will Tories Cut Police Numbers and Crime Rates Go Up! Rachel Eden, Labour and Cooper- be taking forward in the next ative Party parliamentary candidate year are: The Tories have cut 389 police officers and 117 police for Reading West "Following the A new secondary school community support officers from Thames Valley. This referendum many who, like me, in Richfield Avenue has impacted our local communities with public disor- voted remain hoped that the gov- More Council house der up 40%, violence up 35% and robbery up 29% ernment might come up with a sen- building across the Thames Valley. sible deal. However, the Conserva- Two new swimming Your Labour Council continues to work closely along- tives have failed in a catastrophic way. The public need a chance to pools at Palmer Park side police, Council officers and local communities on and Rivermead and re- crime-related issues. have a final say on this now we know what is actually on the table." furbishment of the leisure Illegal encampments in Reading facilities at the Meadway The Government is in chaos and and South Reading. Amjad Tarar [Park], and Mo McSevney [Redlands] looking at Reading Borough Council continues to ensure action is it is time for a change. possible sites to build the new pool in Palmer Park. taken on any illegal encampments on Council land by taking legal action as swiftly as possible and by invest- Glenn Dennis [Kentwood], Paul Gittings [Minster], Ali Foster ing in protecting our public land with fencing, barriers [Tilehurst], Jason Brock [Southcote] and Graeme Hoskin [Norcot] in Nursery Funding Crisis and bunds. Prospect Park where there have been repeated encampments. With police already stretched and decisions on en- to deal with any illegal encampments. We have no State maintained nurseries across Reading and campments currently discretionary, we have called on response to this and continue to lobby for government nationally are under threat including nurseries like the government to provide powers to local authorities support on this national issue. the outstanding Norcot Early Years centre due to the possible end of government funding. Labour Council Investing in Housing Labour Council Investing in Roads Despite Cuts Following an outcry from campaigners like Glenn Dennis (Kentwood) and a petition set up by Ra- Mo McSevney [Redlands] and Micky Leng Your Labour Councillors con- filled 266,986 potholes in chel Eden that has attracted over 10,000 signa- [Whitley] visiting the refurbished, safer and tinue to ensure investment in Reading. tures, the Government has extended funding from warmer homes on the Hexham Estate. our roads despite cuts. March next year to September. Roads including Southcote We continue to call on the Lane, Mayfair and Oxford Government to invest more in our local roads. Glenn Dennis said "Our maintained nurseries pro- Road have been resurfaced vide an amazing start to education for many as part of continuing invest- If you see a new pothole youngsters and it's a scandal the Government ment in Reading’s transport forming that hasn’t been hasn't got a long term plan for them.” infrastructure for drivers and spotted by the Council’s cyclists. Highway Maintenance Team, Please sign the petition at: The Council’s road funding please let your local Labour Glenn Dennis [Kentwood] and Rachel Eden Parliamentary Candidate Reading Cllr Graeme Hoskin [Norcot] and Cllr Jo cut by the Government Councillors know and they West collecting signatures at Norcot Nusery https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/237044 Lovelock visit the new Council houses in will ensure it is correctly Conwy Close, Tilehurst. since 2010 could have