Election ’23 launch statement – Conservative party

West Berkshire Conservatives have launched their manifesto.

West Berkshire Council seats go to the polls on May 4, with the defending Conservative administration keen to point to its successes.

The local party has announced that the “Conservative-run West Berkshire Council is independently recognised as the best overall performing local authority; is in top 10 for value for money; and has kept council tax low year on year.”

It says West Berkshire Council has been independently recognised by Money.co.uk as the best of 304 authorities for overall performance and in the top 10 for value for money.

Launching the manifesto in Thatcham this week, Dominic Boeck said: “Conservatives are proud to stand on their record.

“At West Berkshire Council, we are providing excellent local services that improve the everyday lives of people, while keeping council tax low year on year.

“And our council has been widely and independently recognised as a high performing authority.

“Our hardworking team hopes to continue this after May 4.”

Highlights of the Conservative-run administration’s record over the past four years include a claim for good schools.

“Ninety-four per cent of our schools are rated good or outstanding and 98 per cent  of children are going to a school of their choice,” says the statement accompanying the manifesto.

It also points to an investment in roads – resurfacing 93 miles of road and investing £57m on improvements to  highways.

Lynne Doherty, leader of West Berkshire Council, led the manifesto launch.

She said: “Our council provides over 700 different services that improve our everyday lives.

“These include clean streets, safe roads, good schools, locally-led planning decisions, support for local businesses and regular waste collection, to name but a few.

“We consistently delivered our services well despite a very challenging four years.

“We kept the promises we made at the last local elections, we dealt with the pandemic and helped our communities when they needed it, and our finances are in a good state.

“We hope people across West Berkshire will give us their vote again in May and together we can build an even more prosperous and safe West Berkshire.”

The 2023 manifesto sets out how the Conservatives will build on this success in the coming four years — and centres on five promises:

1. To care for vulnerable people, giving children in care high levels of support and helping older people remain in their own homes for longer.
2. To protect the environment, caring for the countryside and protecting communities from flooding.
3. To strengthen communities, making sure every child has access to a place in a good or outstanding school and investing in leisure facilities such as the Monks Lane Sports Hub, Newbury Lido, and new football pitches (including at John O’Gaunt School in Hungerford).
4. To be open for business, advancing regeneration plans for Newbury, Thatcham, Hungerford and Theale and investing in the rural economy by backing rural business.
5. To deliver services for the future, investing to generate income, by providing high-quality jobs and harnessing technology to deliver more tailored services even more efficiently.