Protect Wokingham's Green Belt and Green Spaces Tuesday, 28 July, 2026 The Green Belt is vital for preserving the character of local towns, supporting wildlife, and preventing urban sprawl. Wokingham Borough Council's recent call for sites is part of its build-out of a new Local Plan. We urge the council to prioritise brownfield sites, ensure infrastructure supports new developments, and involve communities in safeguarding our green spaces. Development should only... Local News
Why do some Councils set out to annoy the people who pay for them? 6th August 2021 I recently received a demand for £10 to keep open my Congestion Charge account from Transport for London. I have to pay an annual charge of £10 to maintain an... Westminster News
Climate realism 5th August 2021 Allegra Stratton, the official Climate change spokeswoman, has been struggling to find things we could all do to advance their chosen cause of heading to net... Westminster News
Reviewing quangos 4th August 2021 Today I refresh my suggestion that the government during its spending review improves its financial and policy controls over quangos. The long trend to hive off... Westminster News
Buying more at home 3rd August 2021 If a bus company buys a bus made abroad the impact of the transaction on the UK economy and state finances is very different to a bus company buying a UK made... Westminster News
Government and private sector investment 2nd August 2021 I’m all for better schools and health facilities. These services paid for out of taxation need a suitable level of capital spend each year to update older... Westminster News
Funny figures 31st July 2021 I rely a lot on official statistics to read trends and make policy suggestions to government. The problem is the figures themselves are very unreliable and need... Westminster News
More police officers than ever before 30th July 2021 Thames Valley PCC, Matthew Barber, has welcomed the announcement that 269 police officers have been recruited in Thames Valley since September 2019, bringing... Local News
Public spending review 30th July 2021 This autumn will see a major public spending review. There will be the usual pressure for higher sums for the NHS, for education and other crucial services... Westminster News
The Benefits of the Local Plan 29th July 2021 The Benefits of the Local Plan - Part 5 in a series on the Local Plan by Cllr John Halsall Leader of WBC Last week, John Halsall explained what the Council is... Local News
Our gigabit rural broadband plan for the UK 1st October 2019 Investment in rural broadband is vital. Broadband is not just essential for businesses across the United Kingdom, but it also makes areas more attractive places... National News
Our spending boost to tackle adult mental illness 1st October 2019 Provision of community services for people with serious mental illness has historically not been a focus of mental health reforms. National News
How we’re planning to invest in our communities 30th September 2019 Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sajid Javid, has set out major new plans for investment alongside further measures to tackle the housing crisis. National News
5 key points you must know about our new housing policy 30th September 2019 Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, will announce that tenants in new housing association properties will be given... National News
Why Labour’s education policy will undermine education 30th September 2019 We are investing £14 billion into school funding to make sure our children have a world class education. We’ve made sure that extra funding will go towards... National News
The Chancellor’s Speech to Conference 2019 30th September 2019 Twenty years ago, Mum thought it was a big deal when she watched the first Asians move into Coronation Street here in Manchester.Well, now she’s watched as the... National News