Reading Liberal Democrats are calling on the Labour-run Council to explain how much taxpayer money and officer time was spent on a City of Culture bid that collapsed within six days of submission — and why warning signs were ignored before it was submitted.

An investigation by The Reading Reporter has revealed that Reading’s expression of interest for UK City of Culture 2029 was rejected on 18 March, just six days after a planning meeting held in the Council Chamber. The report also reveals that the decision to submit the bid was made close to the deadline, meaning the bid-writing process was rushed. At the same time, competitor towns had spent considerably longer preparing.

Liberal Democrat councillors are questioning why the bid went ahead at all, given that participants at the planning meeting themselves identified significant risks — including “bid failure fatigue” among residents from previous failed bids, the risk of damaging Reading’s cultural sector if unsuccessful, and the likelihood that residents would view it as a waste of money. Those concerns proved well-founded.

The bid also involved the hiring of an external facilitation company, Golden Sankofa, to run the planning meetings — at an as-yet undisclosed cost to the public.

Most strikingly, the bid was pursued at the same time as the Council cut its culture budget from £3 million to just over £2 million — a budget that also has to cover parks, leisure centres and libraries. Reading Liberal Democrats are asking how the Council can justify the time and expense of a high-profile bid while simultaneously reducing the very investment that would have made Reading a more credible candidate.

James Moore, Reading Liberal Democrat Councillor for Tilehurst, said:

“Residents deserve to know how much of their money was spent on a bid that those involved knew was a risk — and that was apparently written in a rush. The warning signs were there before the bid was even submitted, yet the Council pressed ahead anyway.

“At the same time as pursuing this bid, Labour cut Reading’s culture budget. You cannot credibly pitch yourself as a City of Culture to a national panel while cutting the funding that supports culture in your own town.

“We’re not opposed to ambition for Reading. But ambition has to be backed by a plan, proper preparation, and a realistic assessment of whether the time and money involved are justified. This bid had none of those things.

“We are calling on the Council to publish a full account of the costs involved — including any external consultancy fees — and to explain what steps will be taken to ensure public money is not wasted in this way again.”

Reading Liberal Democrats are also noting that a 10-point recovery plan has been produced following the bid’s failure, but that no date has yet been set for the next meeting to take it forward — raising further doubts about whether the Council has a coherent strategy for culture in Reading

Reading’s main library has now shut its doors for good. It’s getting ready to move to the town’s newly updated Civic Centre.

Reading Central Library, which first opened on Kings Road back in 1985, had its last day open to visitors on Saturday afternoon. Now, it’s starting the big move to the new Civic Centre development over on Bridge Street.

You won’t be able to use the library’s central services until the new place opens up on Thursday, June 18th. This new spot will be inside the redesigned Civic Centre. They expect it to have modern facilities, be much easier for everyone to get around, and offer more spaces for community use.

Reading Borough Council says they had to move. The old building, with its many floors, had just gotten too outdated and it was becoming really hard – and costly – to make it work for people with accessibility needs.

Council officials mention that the new library, which was built just for this, will be completely accessible. It’s also designed to better serve everyone: residents, students, and visitors alike. The plans for this new place include almost 100 spots to work or study, better digital tools, and a new area for community gatherings and events called The Square.

But this closure hasn’t been without its share of arguments. Some local people and groups have spoken out against the move. They’re worried about losing the old Kings Road location, which has been there for so long. They also question if this whole moving period might affect people who use the library all the time. Others have asked for clearer details about how much the redevelopment is costing and what’s going to happen to the old library building.

Even with all the talk against it, council leaders feel this move is a big investment in Reading’s public services for the future. They want the new library to be a central spot for learning, community get-togethers, and events right in the town centre.

There are clearly differing and sometimes sharply contrasting views within Labour over Keir Starmer’s leadership, with debate continuing both publicly and behind the scenes. This wider split in opinion has led to closer scrutiny of where MPs stand, including the three Reading representatives for Reading and surrounding constituencies, as the party navigates questions of direction, unity and leadership style.

While some MPs have firmly backed Starmer and emphasised stability at the top of the party, others have been linked to more critical conversations about the leadership’s current approach. The result is a developing political divide within the party, where support and concern exist side by side, and individual MPs’ positions are being watched more closely than ever.

MPs backing Keir Starmer

Matt Rodda (Reading Central) has backed Keir Starmer, supporting his continued leadership of the Labour Party and government. According to The Guardian, he is one of the signatories of a letter supporting Starmer.

Olivia Bailey (Reading West and Mid Berkshire) previously worked for Keir Starmer as Head of Domestic Policy when he was Labour leader (before becoming Prime Minister) and has also backed Starmer, aligning with those within the party who support stability under the current leadership.

Position on leadership criticism

Yuan Yang (Earley and Woodley) has been mentioned in relation to criticism of Keir Starmer’s leadership. However, there is no confirmed public statement from her calling for his resignation. The BBC website published a list of MPs reportedly critical of Keir Starmer’s leadership, which includes her name.