THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS ‘worked their socks off’ to gain three seats in the Wokingham local elections, according to the party’s leader.
Cllr Lindsay Ferris added that he was very proud of his team in the face of the unusual election they had had.
“Bearing in mind what’s been happening across the country where, without question, the Conservatives seem to have had a bounce, I think we’ve done incredibly well,” he told Wokingham.Today.
“We have worked our socks off over the last couple of months since we were allowed to start campaigning again, which was March. I am very proud of them.
“We now have an expanded group of 18 on the council and it is our job to provide the opposition to the ruling Conservative group. Yes, there were several seats that we missed, but I think in the overall scheme of things across the country, we’ve done incredibly well.”
READ MORE: All the results from the 2021 Wokingham local elections
Cllr Ferris was a candidate this year, and said he was delighted to be reelected to Twyford.
“I really want to thank the residents of Twyford, I’m quite humbled at the vote we’ve received and I’m very proud to be able to represent Twyford. It gives you a lot of energy to keep going and fighting for our village,” he said.
He said that the support had ‘gobsmacked’ him.
“So many people came up to with me thumbs up, saying they’re voting for me. When I was walking my dogs, people asked me if we had had the result yet.
“It’s just so encouraging to get such a positive response.”
He pledged to serve all residents, regardless of whether they had voted for him or not.
“If somebody has a problem, it doesn’t matter how they voted or whether they voted at all. We are councillors to represent them.”
Now, he needs to look ahead to the new municipal year and what the party will do.
“I think that one of the things the council has to do is to change its culture. It seems to be so arrogant about things,” he said.
“It seems to take the line that, ‘no, we couldn’t have possibly done anything wrong’. If somebody makes a mistake – anyone can – just say so, move on and get it sorted.
“That’s one of the things we would focus on.”
He said that the party had prepared an implementation plan in case it won control of the council in the elections, but that was not to be. With a bigger group, it wlll start looking ahead to next year’s local elections.
“We’ve got another opportunity and we’ll be putting together proposals and plans as the opposition over the coming year.
“We now have a strong, strong voice for the residents of Wokingham borough, we have got good representation and we will push so the residents can get the best for their area.
“We will push the Conservatives to provide services as good as they can and we will be pushing hard at them.”
