The speech Cllr Pauline Jorgensen made as leader of the opposition Conservative group last night:
Before I get into my speech, I want to thank a number of people. Thanks to Keith and Abdul for their service as Mayor and Deputy Mayor over the last year – you’ve been a real credit to the Borough. I want to thank John Halsall for his three years as Leader of the Council, guiding us through a global pandemic and difficult economic aftermath and John Kaiser for keeping a strong grip on the Finances.
I also want to thank all the officers who have worked with me and my Conservative colleagues over the years to make this one of the best places to live, work and raise a family.
Congratulations. to Clive on his election as Leader. I’ll admit it’s a interesting that his coalition has scooped up the votes of the other parties without offering them any seats in the Executive. In the interests of transparency, perhaps the coalition Members will tell residents what they have been offered to join this coalition? Residents who put their cross next to Labour candidates at the election may also be taken aback that those same councillors have now dissolved their parties and decided to join the Lib Dems! A pity that wasn’t mentioned when they were out asking for people’s votes…
We intend to approach Opposition differently to how the Lib Dems operated when we were in office. Given the voters have ensured that no party was elected with a majority on the Council, we fully support the need to work together to tackle the challenges ahead. Where we believe the Lib Dem led Group are doing things that are of benefit to Borough residents, we will support them, but we will also hold them to account when they fail. I hope that the new coalition will look at ways to introduce more challenge to Council meetings – perhaps with dedicated questions to the Council Leader from the Opposition Leader, like at PMQs.
We will provide challenge where it is needed, but will support where we share objectives. In the past, we have worked together to press for pilot programmes on housing. The Local Plan needs to be addressed with urgency – failing to get on means that we are at the mercy of developers. Various Lib/Lab coalition councillors promised on their election literature that they would protect their areas from development. As we all know, the best protection from development is a Local Plan. We look forward to conversations about how to progress the Plan, and we would be willing to help the coalition continue the successful conversations that we had been having with Government to reduce housing numbers. The message from residents is clear: we must put aside our differences more for the benefit of the Borough.
The Lib Dem/Labour coalition has inherited an enviable legacy from 20 years of Conservative administration. Wokingham Borough is one of the best places in the UK and is the healthiest place to live. Sound financial management has meant that we have been able to maintain and increase services, put investment into new facilities across the Borough, and develop an income stream that is funding better outcomes for residents.
The coalition will benefit from new schools and sixth forms that we have secured, new leisure centres we are building and have built, and new social homes that we have delivered, along with £57million we had set aside for building and modernising affordable and social housing. We have delivered new greenways and cycleways, doubled spending on road maintenance, and are in the middle of a programme to reduce congestion – something which I remember the Lib Dems opposed when in opposition.
We also provided unprecedented support to families and businesses during the pandemic and its aftermath, including millions of pounds in grants. The administration must continue our policy of backing people in need during these difficult times.
I hope that the coalition will continue and build on the legacy and priorities that we put in place. And when the going gets tough, as it inevitably will for any new administration, I hope they won’t fall back on the trope of trying to blame it on the excellent situation they’ve inherited. The exercise of power carries the obligation to take responsibility.
Finally, I want to thank my Conservative colleagues for electing me as their new Leader. I have a fantastic team around me who I’m looking forward to working with over the coming year. In particular I have created a new Shadow Executive post for Levelling up, equality and social housing which Laura Blumenthal has agreed to take on to reflect the need to give people the help they deserve.
We will provide scrutiny, we will provide challenge to the coalition, and we will make the case to the residents of this great Borough on why they should return a Conservative administration at the next election.
