Park Ward newsletters

I have just got hold of a copy of that rare item, a Conservative ward newsletter in Park. They appear to have selected their candidate -- Mr John Walker -- for the next local elections who I am informed comes from Caversham and has not done anything recently in Park except comment in their newsletter. Looking through my archive the previous ward newsletter from them came out over a year ago just before the 2008 local elections plugging their last unsuccessful candidate Mr Martyn Washbourne. Now they are trailing behind in third place in Park it will be interesting to see how much effort they put in over the next nine months.

A month or so ago I saw one from the Liberal Democrats but it seemed mainly to be plugging their Parliamentary candidate Mr Epps. Their previous one was June 2008. As the Liberal Democrats are way behind in fourth place in Park I do not expect them to do much apart from promote Mr Epps for the Reading East constituency.

Nothing from the Labour Party for a long while now. The last ward newsletter I saw was just before the 2008 local elections where Mr Hartley pipped me to the post by just 20 votes. Now with only two councillors in the ward, demoralised activists and people jumping ship left right and centre I think that Labour will struggle to defend Cllr Merriot at the next election -- although there are rumours around that she will be stepping down and Mr McKenzie will be standing.

Of course our ward newsletter Green Reading has been coming out quarterly now for a few years. And having just lost by 20 votes in 2008 and won in the ward at the European elections we will be continuing to work hard for the area.