Big kids and little kids!

Today I went along to the Whitley Sure start open day partially as a mum and partially with my councillor hat on.  I had a really nice time and it was great to meet with other mums - hi especially to Grace and Shona!

I really enjoyed the baby massage class, and will persevere with it at home.

I also called in on a visit children from the Whitley Excellence Cluster Council were making to the civic centre where they met with our wonderful Mayor, Gul Khan.  We were both really impressed by them, and their mature behaviour.  I have to say that some of the councillors on Reading Borough council could take lessons from them!


So all in all a great day.  Now if only someone would put on a mummy massage class...

Kelly Edwards

My colleague and comrade Jim Hanley has decided to retire from the council in May following his qualification as a social worker.  I'll be sorry to see him step back from front line politics and I know that many people in Whitley, and indeed across Reading, have reason to thank him for all his hard work.  Having said that he'll be keeping on working hard in the local area and on the planning committee right until the election.

However the positive side is that Kelly Edwards has been selected to be the candidate for Whitley ward next spring.  I'm delighted by this as she will do a great job over the next few months (and has already started to do so!) and if residents elect her, will make a great councillor - passionate, hard working and a local champion.  I know she will stick to the Whitley councillors motto:  "Working hard for all Whitley, all year, every year"

Although I've said it to her face already - welcome to the team!

Jennie Lee

Labour List are currently running a series of columns on the history of Labour women.  This week's is on Jennie Lee and gives a fair and brisk run down of her life and politics. 

She has hero status in my own family as the founder of the Open University which I personally believe to be one of our greatest institutions and something that has opened doors for so many people to better themselves. 

As one of the first women Labour MPs who was elected at 24 she also helped to blaze a trial that showed that young working women's place is in the House (of Commons!), something that we should be grateful for.

Speed limits and fun

I'm not really a fan of sharing adverts on blogs, but I couldn't help think this was brilliant. 
Cllr Willis can feel safe - I'll not be submitting a question to council suggesting it!  Although it is an interesting idea...

Stockholm Syndrome?

Rumours and more than rumours have been going around Reading over the last week about which wards the Lib dems are planning to stand aside in either totally or by not actively campaigning.  Tony Jones has now broken the story on his blog. 

If this is seriously going to happen what the Liberals are going through looks suspiciously like Stockholm Syndrome.  I was starting to have my suspicions that this was happening when I saw Councillor Benson's twitter feed on the CSR, which looked like something out of the Conservative press office but this confirms it.

My message to Liberal Democrats in case they have forgotten it - you are not Conservatives!


I have to say that I find it very sad.  I am a socialist and a political opponent so of course I don't want the Liberal Democrats to do well.  However far better a fair fight on the issues with voters given a real choice.  The Conservatives may be laughing but the losers here are the electorate.

EDITED: spelling and format, removed animal farm quote as saving it for later!

Eve of Eid and mum's group

Yesterday I went to two really enjoyable community events.  Firstly I called in on the Kennet Island mum and tots group, which was lovely.  It's not every day (ever?!) that as a councillor you get a round of applause.  But I did have some good news for them, which will be announced on Whitley News shortly!

Secondly I went along to the Eve of Eid women's event at the Pakistani Community Centre along with other women councillors, where again we received a very warm welcome.

Thank you to both groups!

Rememberance day and Burma

Today I stood with many others from Reading at Brock Barracks for the civic Remembrance Day service.  It was as always with Remembrance Day a very moving occasion and of course first in all our minds I'm sure were those who have died in the armed forces and those they have left behind.

However during the march past (which included the band at one point playing March of the Valkeries!) my mind went back to the images from last night's news of Aung San Suu Kyi's walk to the entrance of her compound.  It made me realise how fortunate we are to live in a country where the armed forces serve us, the community, and not the other way round.  Since, I guess, around the end of the civil wars in the 17th Century we have been so lucky to experience the rule of law and - increasingly - democracy in this country.

A reason to remember and be grateful.

October report -

Summary: 

A busy month. some local positives overshadowed by the national news. 

Council work: 

 Full council this month was I have to say a largely disappointing affair with a lot of bad temper and unnecessary amendments of motions for political point scoring.  I kept out of the debates that caused the most headlines but proposed a motion urging the council to take advantage of the new 'feed in tarriffs'.  Although this was amended by the lead councillor by deleting all but 2 of the words of my motion (and to include a list of things that the council is already doing, although it seemed to have escaped his notice that this was under a Labour administration!) I believe the general principle was preserved, so I do have hopes.  As Cllr Paul Gittings rightly pointed out - they will be judged by results not words.

As ever I get contacted by local residents with individual concerns, please do feel free to contact me.

Out and about in the ward:
Jim, Mike and I held our regular monthly surgery, this month it was on Kennet Island.

Cllr Mike Orton and I visited Whitley Park schools to see the progress they are making on becoming a single school and discuss access to the site. 

I haven't yet got the result on Hartland Road that residents are hoping for but I will continue to push for this.

I have been encouraging people to sign up to vote, particularly in the "S" polling district on the Kennet Island Development and Ashmore Road but also elsewhere.

Other:

I met with Michael Coughlin the Chief Executive of the council to discuss Whitley, how I was settling in as a councillor and to raise a couple of concerns.

The Shinfield Road lights issue is ongoing although there has been some progress.

Labour party and campaigning

I attended Group executive meetings as a back bench representative and also the party "General Committee" where we had some really good guest speakers.  I have been door knocking around the ward and also in Katesgrove with the local team there.

November:
November is quieter on the committee front so I am making time to get out and about in the ward as well as keep standing up for residents.

"Irresponsible fear-mongering"

Now that the coalition has in a single day attacked Shelter and the Local Government Association (whose Chair is a Tory peer) for scaremongering and accused Boris Johnston of offensiveness (oh wait, I would say that's true as a general rule)  perhaps it is now the turn of the Methodists, the United Reformed Church and the Baptists.  No doubt they are smearing George Osbourne in a distasteful way.





At some point the Coalition is going to have to wake up to the fact that when someone disagrees with what you are doing it can be because you are doing something disagreeable.  And not all opposition is irresponsible.

In fact the real scaremongers are those who do scary things.  The coalition is doing things that that would make any reasonable person afraid for what might happen if you were to get ill, or unemployed or just old and frail.