ONE of the biggest shocks of this year’s local elections was a Lib Dem win in Wokingham Without.
The winner was Cllr Jordan Montgomery, who is naturally delighted with his success over Conservative Chris Browning. It was his fourth attempt.
“It felt absolutely fantastic,” he says of learning he was the victor.
“I deliberately stood in the corner for most of the counts, and waited for my colleagues to be the one to do the final tally.
“Last year was very close and I was disappointed we couldn’t achieve today’s results last year.
“Persistence and hard work, not just from myself, but from other councillors, party members and residents has paid off.
“It’s a general endorsement of the council’s policies as a whole and what the Lib Dems have been trying to achieve all year.”
A big help in the campaign came from Marc Brunel-Walker, a Bracknell Forest Conservative councillor who endorsed him days before polling opened.
“It was an honour to receive an endorsement from such a seasoned councillor,” Cllr Montgomery said.
“It just goes to show there are issues not just in my ward, but across the borough and the country, where you have to put people’s needs before party.
“He was willing to switch over and endorse us. He hasn’t joined, but he had said myself and the Lib Dems are best going to look after the needs of Wokingham Without and the borough as a whole.”
He thanked people for their support: “I absolutely appreciate it, I still can’t believe how many of you voted for me.
“I really hope I can do you proud.”
He added: “I want you to hold us to account and make sure we deliver on the promises and the priorities we listed in our manifesto.
“We have big, big concerns for a lot of issues, and we have started delivering on the most important ones – we have guaranteed to protect the Pinewood Centre, and once the local plan update is through we will have it protected for the foreseeable future.”
He also said his party would take action on roads and potholes, with part of Nine Mile Ride due to be resurfaced in June.
“I know how frustrating it is to have so many potholes, having lived in the ward for 17 years,” Cllr Montgomery said. “These are issues that have been neglected for the last 20 years by the Conservatives and they’ve got considerably worse over the last five years.”
