So here we are. After 4 years of running the council, voters have put their faith in the Lib Dems once again, and given us a 5th year, with an increased majority.
In my 30 years in politics in Wokingham, I have observed that the outcomes of elections locally don’t always reflect the national trends. And to some extent that is true this year.
Nationally, Labour had a disastrous election – but in Wokingham they still managed to hang on to one of the two seats they were defending. Nationally, the Conservatives also came off badly. But locally they managed to end up no worse than before, losing 2 and gaining 2. Nationally the Greens were an insurgent force on the left, picking up hundreds of seats – but in Wokingham they came 4th or worse everywhere. Nationally Reform stormed to victory in around 1500 seats, the big winners of the election. In Wokingham they did not get a single councillor.
And the Lib Dems? Nationally, for the 8th local elections in a row, we gained seats. And for the 8th election in a row locally we also gained a seat. Nationally, we won more contests than the Conservatives did, and added to the number of councils we control. And in Wokingham we also won more contests than the Conservatives did (12 out of the 19 available). And we kept control of Wokingham Borough. But you can be forgiven for not realising that, because in all the noise around the performance of Reform, the Greens and Labour (though curiously, not the Conservatives), the fact that the Lib Dems continue to move forward, continue to run councils successfully, and continue to win more completely disappears.
As a Lib Dem, I find the media coverage of politics in this country extremely frustrating. Not because we are routinely ignored, but because journalists and commentators seem determined to treat politics as a combination of a personality cult and entertainment. They need clicks and views so it is hardly surprising that they run after what’s bright shiny and new, the controversial and the eye-catching, and don’t see it as their job to challenge or inform. They publish endless speculation about individuals, ignoring the fact that running the country – or indeed running a council – can only be done by a team, working together, doing the hard yards. There are no simple solutions to the problems this country or our council faces. If there were, someone would have fixed them by now. Yet people who put forward easy answers seem free to sell their snake oil without any form of critical analysis.
Of course people want to believe that there is an easy way to make their life better, to solve problems painlessly, and to reduce the complexities of the modern world. But at some point reality will bite. And politicians who have been peddling simplistic solutions will be found out. The current disillusionment with the Labour government will seem like nothing then.
There are lots of people in our borough, and across the country, who understand all that, and who find the current situation not just frustrating but deeply concerning. Locally, the Lib Dems have been trying provide honesty and stability, build an inclusive community and to help the borough weather the storms around us. Last Thursday, we got the support of enough people to enable us to continue that work, for which we are very grateful. There is hope for a better future, and we will do our very best to secure it.
By Cllr Prue Bray
