TWO of Labour’s top team visited Shinfield on Friday, to highlight the work of its film studios and show its support for creative industries.
Chris Byrant, who is the Shadow Minister for Creative Ministries, came to Shinfield Studios with the party’s chair, Anneliese Dodds.
They gave speeches and met the party’s four parliamentary candidates for the region: Wokingham’s Monica Hamidi, Earley and Woodley’s Yuan Yang, Reading Central’s Matt Rodda, and Reading West and Mid Berkshire’s Olivia Bailey.
Mr Bryant said: “The quality of Labour candidates this time around, across the whole country, is really impressive. In particular, here, you’ve got some absolute crackers.”
This view was echoed by Ms Dodds, who stood for Labour in the old Reading East in 2010. She was delighted to make a return trip and meet Ms Yang.
“It is very exciting to be here, especially with Yuan who is such a strong candidate,” she said. “We now have a number of boundary changes, so there are very different constituencies, but I think issues about the cost of living, access to the NHS – those are big challenges for local people and ones that Yuan is very concerned about. I think she would make an amazing member of parliament if she can be elected.”
Ms Yang said the visit was hugely energising, and it was significant that the national party wanted to visit the constituency.
“It’s a big boost for our campaign to have the chair of the Labour party and the shadow minister for creative ministries and, of course, the Battle Bus, here in Shinfield Studios.
“It’s a sign of how seriously the Labour Party takes this contest locally.
“It’s going to be a very tight contest between us and the Conservatives, I think everyone in the Labour party knows. It’s really invigorating for our activists to see this happening – our volunteers are going out knocking on doors every single day, come rain or shine … and it has been rainy recently.”
She added: “The choice of location is really important as well. We’re outside Shinfield Studios, one of the most recent state-of-the-art movie studio developments in the area.
“Having the shadow minister for creative ministries here shows how much we support the growth that investing in creative industries in the UK can bring.”
