Matt Rodda, one of Wokingham’s four MPs, has been appointed by Jeremy Corbyn to serve in Labour’s front bench.
The news was announced on Friday, January 12, days after another Wokingham borough MP, Theresa May, reshuffled her cabinet.
Mr Rodda won the Reading East seat in last May’s General Election, beating incumbent Rob Wilson.
Since then, Mr Rodda has made an impact on the Labour leader and he has been appointed as shadow cabinet member for local transport.
It is a role he has some knowledge of. As a Labour councillor in Reading, he has experience of Reading Buses.
In recent months he has been working with Reading Buses and the public over proposed changes to services in Woodley, Earley and Caversham.
This has included helping organise a non-political public meeting in The Oakwood Centre over proposals to cut services. It was attended by members of other local political parties, who spoke at the start of the event.
It is one of a number of changes to Labour’s shadow cabinet that Mr Corbyn announced today.
Mr Corbyn said: “I am pleased to make these appointments to strengthen Labour’s frontbench team, which is now a Government in waiting.
“I look forward to working with them in their new roles holding the Government to account, developing policy to transform our country and, with their Shadow Secretary of States, preparing to form a Government that will deliver for the many not the few.”
Mr Rodda said he was delighted to be called up to serve in this way.
“I am both honoured and delighted to serve as Shadow Minister for Local Transport,” he added.
“It has been a pleasure to work as Parliamentary Private Secretary for the Shadow Secretary of State for Transport Andy McDonald, and I look forward to working with him on local transport in my new position.”
