As the Liberal Democrat candidate for Caversham Ward in the Council elections, I want to explain why I believe local people should vote in support of our policies on May 5th.

It’s a tough election this year, at a time when our country is fighting to recover from the deficit we inherited, but we should be proud of what the Liberal Democrats have achieved, both nationally and locally, in difficult times.

Locally, with Liberal Democrats working in the coalition that runs our Borough Council, library opening hours have been extended; council tax has been frozen; new apprenticeships have been created; SureStart children’s centres have been protected and new council houses have been built for the first time in 20 years. Ministers have praised the Council’s recent results and our continuing influence will ensure further improvements into the future.

At the national level, every basic-rate tax payer has had £200 taken off their income tax as part of the Liberal Democrat drive for fairer taxes; our pupil premium is putting £2.5 billion extra into schools helping children who might otherwise fall behind and the state pension system has been overhauled to ensure every qualifying new pensioner will receive £140 per week.

Of course, as well as choosing which party you wish to run Reading Borough Council, there is a second reason why May 5th is so important this year. The national referendum gives us the opportunity to bring in a fairer voting system to give voters a stronger voice and make MPs work harder. This referendum is the direct result of the Liberal Democrat push for reform to clean up politics.

I decided to stand for election this year because, quite simply, I want to work for what it says on my party membership card – “to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society”. If this is something you believe in too, I hope you will come along on 5th May and cast your votes for the Liberal Democrats and for the fairer voting system that will better represent us all.

On 6th April I, along with my colleagues standing in Wards across Reading Borough, was officially announced as a Liberal Democrat candidate in this year’s local Council elections.

Over the next weeks I’ll be out on the streets meeting as many of Caversham’s residents as I can, keen to hear people’s opinions of how best the Ward can be represented at Council level.

You can find out more about me and the experience I bring to this post via the “About” menu above.

In my next posts to this blog I hope to share with you some of the great things the Liberal Democrat members of Council have achieved for the Borough since the last election and discuss how we can work together to bring about a bright future.

I look forward to meeting you.