Welcome to this week’s constituency newsletter for residents in Reading West and Mid Berkshire. With Parliament in recess, I had the opportunity to get away with my family for a few days. This also gave me the chance to reflect on the busy start to this year. I am pleased that I have had the opportunity to stand up for residents in Reading West and Mid Berkshire in Parliament, voting for important legislation to transform our schools, clean up our rivers, support our young people, and secure our borders. It has also been an incredibly busy few weeks in the constituency, meeting residents at surgeries and drop-ins, visiting local employers like IKEA, and going out on patrol with the police and local councillors.
To keep up to date with what I am doing in Parliament and in the constituency, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Bluesky.
Flooding at Burghfield Bridge
Following on from the survey that I recently sent out, last Friday along with representatives from West Berkshire Council, the Environment Agency and the Canal and River Trust, I met with residents from Burghfield Bridge to hear their concerns around flooding. We heard about the impact that flooding has had on property and people’s livelihoods, as well as the impact on residents physical and mental health.
I am clear that we need the various agencies to work together to identify a long-term solution for residents and I am meeting this coming week with West Berkshire Council, the Environment Agency, and the Canal and River Trust to agree next steps.
Residents have been waiting for far too long, and I am determined that a clear action plan is put in place as soon as possible.
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A34 Slip Roads I was really pleased this week to see coverage of my A34 slip road campaign in the local news, shining a spotlight on the issues being faced by residents. I’m looking forward to meeting with National Highways after half term to make progress on making these roads safer for local drivers. Residents are continuing to share their concerns with me, and my survey has had over 450 responses to date. If you would like to share your concerns and have not already done so, you can complete the survey here. Two million extra NHS appointments delivered since July I’m delighted by the news this week that we’ve already delivered the two million extra NHS appointments we promised – seven months early! There’s obviously still work to be done as we fix our NHS, but this – and last week’s news that waiting lists have fallen four months in a row – is strong evidence that our health service is firmly on the road to recovery. Tory U-turn on Football Regulator Along with Yuan Yang MP and Matt Rodda MP I have been campaigning to secure the future of Reading Football Club, which has suffered from terrible financial mismanagement and an overwhelming lack of transparency. We have met with the Sports Minister, written to the Chinese Embassy to ask for help contacting the owners, and now we have secured a debate in parliament on the 6 March on football governance where we will have the opportunity to talk about the challenges facing Reading. One of the actions this government is taking to protect clubs like Reading is the Football Governance Bill which establishes an independent football regulator and a new set of rules to protect clubs, empower fans and keep clubs at the heart of their communities. I was shocked to hear that the Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has said she does not support a regulator – which is currently being held up by Tory Peers in the House of Lords. This u-turn is a real betrayal of football fans who want to protect our local clubs and put football on track for a more sustainable model. We need to see the Football Governance Bill passed as soon as possible so that we can protect clubs like Reading, so I have set up a petition so that you can show your support for this legislation. In addition to campaigning for the crucial football governance bill, I will also continue to work with Yuan and Matt to try and help ensure Reading Football Club’s future can be secured under new, sustainable ownership. Securing a better deal for leaseholders Following on from our letter to FirstPort, along with a number of my Labour colleagues, I have written to the Managing Director of RMG – who manage over 80 sites across the country – to ask them to come to Parliament and speak to us about what needs to be done to secure a better deal for leaseholders. I am determined to hold managing agents to account and support the many leaseholders in Reading West and Mid Berkshire. Please contact my office if you have had any issues with your managing agent, as I would like to share your stories with the group. Dates for your diary
Sunday 2nd March, Community Drop-in, Theale – If you live in Theale and would like to come along for a chat with tea and biscuits between 3.00pm and 4.00pm, please email and my team will confirm the venue a few days in advance of the event. Best wishes for the week ahead Olivia |