THE LEADER of Wokingham Town Council says it has been a long journey to see the Liberal Democrats become its ruling party – and, she adds, it could be a sign of things to come for the borough.
Following the party’s victory in the Wescott East by-election on Thursday, November 25, the council is no longer a coaliation with the Lib Dems the largest party.
Wining the seat from the Conservatives was enough to change the council from being No Overall Control to under Lib Dem rule.
Cllr Imogen Shepherd-DuBey said: “I got elected in 2015, as a lone Lib Dem councillor.
“Over the past six years, we’ve built it to the point where we have control. That’s an unbelievable journey.
“It tells you what the people in Wokingham are thinking and where they want to go. They want change, and we can offer them change.”
The party, she added, had worked hard to be at the point where it was in charge of the town council.
“It’s quite a big scalp,” she said. “I can’t even think the last time the Lib Dems were in control of Wokingham Town Council.
“It puts us up for possibly taking control of Wokingham Borough Council, and maybe even taking the constituency. These are very real options.”
Wokingham Town Council is different to the borough council in that it operates under a cross-party committee structure, comprising Labour, independent, Conservative and Lib Dem councillors.
“I think we work well together,” Cllr Shepherd-DuBey said. “I wouldn’t want to see there being any major conflicts coming out, I want us to continue to work well together and in a collaborative manner.
“We work in a much better way that the borough council does. It’s less confrontational, people feel they can get stuff done, and we do.”
She cited events such as the children’s book festival as examples of this.
“We also expect to offer more greener options,” she promised. “We’ve planted trees, we’ve put in recycling bins, we’ve done quite a lot of things for the community, including events.
“We are fighting planning applications for the people who live in Wokingham, and we support a lot of charitable organisations in the town, for the benefit of the people.
“That’s what I want us to continue to do.”
While Ms Shepherd-DuBey might be pleased with her party, there is another, personal, reason why she’s proud to be leader of the town council.
“I was born in Wokingham, I grew up here, I went to school here,” she says. “It’s kind of an odd place for me to be in, now in charge of the town council.
“I’m very happy and I can’t believe it.”
