Letter to Wokingham Borough Council

Dear Councillor Jones

I am very willing to represent the Council to government where it has a good case, and think we would serve Wokingham better if the Council consulted me before sending letters to Ministers. Ministers are busy people who do not have continuing conversations with every Council in the country issue by issue. They are my colleagues where I am in regular contact with them over Wokingham issues in the context of national policy.

I see you have recently written to the Health Secretary proposing a pausing of the social care plans. I have been recommending to Ministers that they put more money into social services in Councils like Wokingham where a case is made based on need, and  have proposed a rethink of the social care policy. I wish to see the extra money concentrated on providing better services for those who are in need of social care support and wish them to improve  the quality and range of service provision.

If you wish to influence government over a local matter it is best to concert efforts with local MPs, to have a well researched case for more money based on need and existing financial provision where money is involved, and to only seek a meeting with a Minister where there is some new issue or new way of thinking the Minister needs to understand through a meeting.

I continue to receive complaints about the money  being spent on closing and narrowing roads and the plans for more restrictions of traffic on main roads.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Rt Hon Sir John Redwood MP DPhil FCSI

2 Comments

  1. Berkshire Alan
    November 18, 2022

    Sadly John it is all about political point scoring.
    The LibDems have always been good at communication with the local residents, and certainly much better than the Conservatives.
    Now they are in control of the Council, they cannot make local political capital on what are now known as their decisions, but they can try and confuse national politics with local causes, which they again have been good at for years, to try and point score locally that way.
    The excuse now being used:
    We must protect the environment, so everything green is good, no matter how much it costs, no matter the disruption, no matter how inefficient it may be.
    At a recent Town centre meeting I attended, we had the ridiculous statement made about doubling car park charges, because they need the money, and then they wanted ideas about how they could increase the foot fall in the Town Centres.
    No I have no political association/representation with any Party, I was attending as a member of a voluntary Charitable organisation.

  2. Clive jones
    November 20, 2022

    Dear Sir John,

    Thank you for your email.
    The Liberal Democrat administration at Wokingham will continue to try to influence the Conservative government as many councils of all political colours up and down the country do on a daily basis.
    Any help that you want to give us will I am sure be accepted provided that you share the same views that we are expressing to the government.
    I am pleased that you wish to see reform of social care and no doubt you share the frustration of many of us that Boris Johnson’s promise to bring forward reforms in December 2019 has not materialised and reforms have been postponed a further 2 years. Meanwhile many residents in Wokingham are having to pay significant costs for their social care.
    We will continue to lobby government to make changes and to fund social care properly, we’ll welcome your support when we do this.
    You have mentioned that you are receiving complaints about money being spent on closing and narrowing of roads. Can you be specific as some claims made in a leaflet delivered to a few houses in Earley and written by the Conservative leader of the Opposition in Wokingham are as ever inaccurate.
    As you know we are always happy to have constructive conversation John.
    Best wishes
    Clive

    Clive Jones
    Leader of the Council
    Lib Dem Member for Hawkedon Ward

    I look forward to a proper statement of case on social care grant and needs to use in my discussion with government over social care.
    There is opposition to road closure and single lane mode as put in in Arborfield.

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