Leader of Wokingham Borough Council Clive Jones speaks to My Wokingham

EXCLUSIVE BY JACKY HAYLER

Following the local elections last week, the Lib Dems are now the largest party in Wokingham – and party leader Clive Jones said he could not be more delighted.

It was a successful election for the Lib Dems, who gained two seats from the Conservatives, who now hold 22 seats, and one from an independent councillor.

“To have held on to the eight seats we won in 2019 was great but to make three gains as well is very significant. It’s been a very, very long time since the Lib Dems were the largest party –21 years to be exact – so we are very pleased with the outcome.”

He added that he believed there were three main factors why the residents of Wokingham have put their trust in the Lib Dems again. “They like the fact that we have established financial stability, as well as trying to control the overdevelopment forced on us by central government. And the other factor is they think that the Conservatives both nationally and locally have a casual relationship with the truth. These three factors gave us this result.”

Before the election, no one party held an overall majority. Although the Conservatives were the largest party, with 26 seats, the council was run by the Wokingham Borough Partnership consisting of 23 Lib Dem seats, three Labour seats and two Independents. And Mr Jones said he was hopeful that relationship would continue.

With a turnout of around 35 per cent, he said he was also pleased that the Lib Dems were now in control of Earley Town and Wokingham Town Councils.

And he said the local election results were a positive reflection on how he thought the next General Election would go. “New boundaries for the next Gener-