First of all, many, many thanks to all those who voted Labour in the General Election. It is encouraging to see Prime Minister Starmer hit the ground running and begin to make the changes this country so desperately needs.
Many readers will share with me the great relief it is to have a government that is competent and on the side of the people rather than incompetent and in the pockets of vested interests.
Congratulations to both the Borough’s new Members of Parliament, Yuan Yang in the new constituency of Earley and Woodley, and Clive Jones in the latest iteration of the constituency named Wokingham. Commiserations to the candidates who also ran. I am sure Pauline Jorgensen at least will continue to play an active role in the politics of the Borough for several more years at least.
Politics should be about improving peoples’ lives. Making the world a better place to live. I use the word ‘world’ cognisant that for many people, the most important issues are those which affect their street, their family and their local community.
Politics is also about reflecting the values, aspirations and concerns of residents. Where politicians do not reflect these views, they need to have a good reason for not doing so. Most politicians I know would not, for example, seek to reflect the views of racist and bigoted members of our society, but some will. Seeing the racism and bigotry directed at Labour candidates in this election is a reminder that these cancerous views have not gone away.
For some politicians, their work will be done via their work as Parliamentarians. Others will contribute via their work as borough or town and parish councillors.
What all have in common is that they are chosen by their fellow residents. They are not a different breed, they are people with values who want to make a difference. Reader, councillors are residents. They (I) live among us (you). It is one of the treasures of our system that if you do not like what they are doing, you can remove them. If you like what they are doing or share their values, and if they are willing, you can re-elect them.
Within the parties, volunteers will contribute their time to either to get their candidates elected or to support the work of successful candidates or their local parties.
So, although the brouhaha of the General Election campaign has ended, politics will continue. Mercifully, the volume of literature through our front doors will diminish greatly. The parties will be less visible, but the work continues.
Labour councillors on Wokingham Borough Council and Wokingham, Woodley and Earley Town councils, supported by our volunteers, will continue our work to make our communities better places to live.
The work of the Borough Council looks set to be hampered by the austerity that was introduced by the LibDem and Conservative administration of 2010-15, which drove the proliferation of Foodbanks and other poverty-related charities in our communities. Austerity which was made worse by the Conservative administrations of 2015-2024. The Conservative trashing of the economy under the Truss premiership has increased costs for both households and the Borough Council.
For many people, the work of their local Borough councillors will be measured by the responsiveness of their councillors and their councillors work to address local concerns.
The Town councils have more freedom to act but a lower level of responsibilities. At Wokingham Town Council this is described as “doing the fun stuff” as well as maintaining our historic identity – think, Party in the Park, Park Yoga, the museum, Heritage Day, Sunny Saturdays, Theatre in the Park, maintaining our iconic and beautiful town hall and parks and wearing our ceremonial clobber.
In the spirit of fun stuff and identity, I am delighted that other councillors on Wokingham Town Council have supported my proposal to trial the re-introduction of the ancient “Beating the Bounds” ceremony by way of a walk that will circumnavigate (ish) the boundary of Wokingham town on September 8.
In the meantime, graffiti has started to make its unwelcome reappearance in the town so time to crack on with that particular forever – war.
Governments will come and go but being rooted in, and serving, our communities should always be the priority for our politicians.
Andy Croy is a Wokingham Town Councillor, Leader of the Labour Group on Wokingham Town Council and Chair of Wokingham Constituency Labour Party
