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Do you know who exactly you are voting for? Watch this space….

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Another general election is almost upon us and the majority of the candidates have already been announced ahead of Thursday’s deadline.

As most of us know, the general election takes place next month, on December 12. What you may not know, and this is important, is that there will be two elections in Reading, with the town and surrounding areas split into two constituencies. Please note, in this article, we are endeavouring to maintain neutrality – a neutrality which, of course, a writer rarely really feels….

Reading East includes wards in Reading (Abbey, Caversham, Church, Katesgrove, Mapledurham, Park, Peppard, Redlands, and Thames) and Wokingham (Bulmershe and Whitegates, Loddon, and South Lake).

And our fab Reading West, which includes wards in Reading (Battle, Kentwood, Minster, Norcot, Southcote, Tilehurst, and Whitley) and West Berkshire (Birch Copse, Calcot, Pangbourne, Purley on Thames, Theale, and Westwood).

Below are the main candidates for Reading West…

Alok Sharma, Conservative
Alok Sharma (born 7 September 1967) is a British politician, serving as the Secretary of State for International Development since July 2019. He was elected in 2010 as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Reading West.

Sharma previously served as Housing Minister between 2017 and 2018, and as Employment Minister from 2018 to 2019.

Sharma is married and lives in Caversham with his wife and two daughters. His wife is Swedish.

Jamie Whitham, Green Party
Jamie Whitham is the Green Party candidate in the constituency of Reading West in the UK Parliament elections.

Jamie was born in Reading in 1974 attending Coley Park Primary School for a number of years from 1978. After a spell away from Reading in the 1980s he returned in 1995 to study Cybernetics and Control Engineering at The University of Reading.

Jamie joined the Green Party in 2010 after helping Reading’s first Green Councillor Rob White, to be elected.

In 2012 Jamie was elected as the third Green Party councillor on Reading Borough Council. During his four years on the council he sat on the Traffic Management Sub-Committee, Planning Applications Committee, Cycle Forum, Strategic Environment Planning & Transport Committee as well as others.

Jamie is a keen cyclist having recently completed a ride from the equator just north of Quito in Ecuador all the way to Ushuaia at the southern most tip of Argentina. We have to say, knowing this territory to some degree, that this is really, but really far…

Meri O’Connell, Liberal Democrat
Meri has a background in public service, working in children’s homes and as a Youth Justice Worker, helping young people find employment and training opportunities.

Elected as a councillor to Reading Borough Council in 2012, her campaigns have included making Tilehurst Triangle safer for pedestrians, and opposing the closure of the Arthur Clarke care home, where she successfully persuaded the council to ensure the land would only be used for elderly care.

Mr Sharma won 48.9 per cent of the vote in 2017, beating Labour challenger Olivia Bailey by just under 3,000 votes which makes this election much closer. One thing is – who ever you stand for (and think hard about your values and what kind of future you want for your country and all of it’s people), do make sure you vote!

Rachel Eden, Labour and Co-operative
Labour and Cooperative parliamentary candidate for Reading West constituency.
She is a councillor for Whitley ward, Reading and the lead councillor on Reading Borough Council for Adult Social Care.

Rachel Eden has experience of standing as a parliamentary candidate, after unsuccessfully fighting the Tory seat of Wantage last year is back this time moving to Reading west.

Watch this space for more, as we find out more through our investigations, on the above candidates! We will tell you the truths and facts that we find out, in what promises to be a rather, murky and manipulated election.

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Reading Labour MPs Vote Against Assisted Dying Bill

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Terminally-Ill-Adults-Bill

A deeply emotional and historic vote took place this week. The House of Commons approved the Terminally Ill Adults Bill—law that proposes to grant terminally ill persons under English and Welsh jurisdiction the right to have assisted death by a medical practitioner if it should pass the House of Lords.

The bill passed with a thin majority of 314 votes to 291 and sparked national debates brimming with saxophonic emotion. It was a free vote; that is, members of Parliament could vote according to conscience, and the party was not expected to bind them. The bill secured the support of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer but apparently was rejected by Leader of the Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch and Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

All three of Reading’s Labour MPs, Matt Rodda (Reading Central), Olivia Bailey (Reading West and Mid Berkshire), and Yuan Yang (Earley and Woodley), voted against the bill. They may well have objections rooted in such concerns as the safeguarding of vulnerable people, possible pressure being put on those with life-limiting conditions, and just the sheer moral gravity of a change of that kind.

For many people in Reading and elsewhere, this bill goes well beyond politics. It arises out of dignity, choice, and compassion for the hardest moment. Respect goes to those who voted with care and conviction; passing of this bill has been another step toward giving people in unbearable suffering the freedom to choose how and when their life ends-on their terms, with support, been one of the options, and without pain. It’s a difficult subject to deal with, but at its basic level, one of a few simple human desires is to die with dignity.

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Reading Buses Fares to Rise from 2nd June as Government Cuts Funding

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Reading buses

From Sunday 2 June, fare adjustments will take effect across the Reading Buses network. Updated pricing details are outlined below.

These changes have been introduced in response to rising operational costs, including higher employer National Insurance contributions and changes in government support. For most passengers, the fare increase will be minimal. In many cases, customers can avoid the higher fares by choosing multi-journey, weekly, or season tickets.

Government Fare Cap

On routes where single fares exceed £3, prices will continue to be capped at £3 as part of the UK Government’s Help for Households initiative.

Changes to Reading All-Bus Tickets

Government funding that previously subsidised the Reading All-Bus day ticket ended in March. As a result of this and increasing costs, some All-Bus ticket prices have been raised.


Updated Fare Information

Single Fares within Reading
Single journey fares will increase by 10p.

simplyReading Day Tickets

  • Adult: £4.50 via the app or contactless tap on, tap off; £5 if purchased from the driver
  • Boost (for young people): £4, available both via the app and from the driver
  • Group ticket (valid for up to 4 people):
    • £8 during off-peak hours (after 9.30am on weekdays, and all day on weekends and bank holidays)
    • £10 during peak hours (before 9.30am on weekdays)
    • Available on the app and from the driver

Reading All-Bus Tickets
Valid for travel on Reading Buses, Thames Valley Buses, Carousel Buses, and Thames Travel within the simplyReading zone.

  • Adult: £4.90 via the app or tap on, tap off; £5.40 from the driver,
    (Currently, it costs £4 on the app and £4.50 on the bus)
  • Young person (under 18): £4.20 (currently £3 if bought on the app)
  • Group ticket: £8.80 off-peak / £10.80 peak

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Opinion: Reading’s RingGo-Only Parking System Is Ridiculous, Not Revolutionary

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Reading Borough Council’s recent move to scrap cash and card payments for parking in favour of RingGo-only app payments isn’t just inconvenient — it’s verging on the ridiculous.

Across the town, parking machines have been “covered” — not with proper signage or professional notices — but with what look like black bin bags and hastily stuck-on paper notes held in place with bits of sellotape. These make-do signs read: “This machine is only accepting RingGo payments. Location code…” as if that explains everything.

Frankly, it’s comical — if not insulting. This slapdash presentation makes a mockery of a serious change that impacts thousands of residents, workers, and visitors.

The council claims the shift will save money, cutting annual costs from £44,000 to a leaner £29,000 by removing cash collection and maintenance fees. But what about the cost to the public?

Not everyone owns a smartphone. Not everyone is comfortable navigating apps or calling an automated line to pay for a simple parking space. This move sidelines the elderly, the less tech-savvy, and anyone without reliable access to mobile data and tourists unfamiliar with the app.

Worse still, these makeshift signs — flimsy bits of paper stuck to bin bags — give the impression of a temporary issue, not a carefully considered, permanent change. It’s a poor substitute for clear communication and thoughtful planning.

Yes, the council wants to modernise and save money. But that shouldn’t come at the expense of accessibility and common sense. Reading deserves a parking system that works for everyone — not just those who have the right app and enough battery.

If the council insists on digital-first, it must still provide physical, well-marked options and a respectful transition. Bin bags and sellotape won’t cut it.

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