Welcome to this week’s constituency newsletter for residents in Reading West and Mid Berkshire. This week I concluded my Small Business Summer Roadshow – it has been a fantastic experience meeting with so many business owners and entrepreneurs over the past three weeks. I also met with the Thames Valley Police Area Commander this week and was pleased to hear the progress that is being made tackling shoplifting and antisocial behaviour. And there was good news with a fifth cut in interest rates since the General Election – the impact of a responsible Labour government putting the economy back on track, and means more money in people’s pockets.
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Summer Small Business Roadshow (Cont.)
This week, I finished my Small Business Summer Roadshow with visits to Cheese Etc and Nino’s Trattoria in Pangbourne, , Bluematchbox pottery supplies and Hobby Ceramicraft in Grazeley, Audiotek in Pangbourne, and finished up with a pint at The Bull in Theale, just down the road from my office.
I’ve had such a brilliant time visiting so many wonderful small businesses across Reading West and Mid Berkshire and I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has taken the time out to meet with me. I will be compiling my findings, covering topics including support for local economic growth, high street regeneration and trade, in a report to share with the Business Secretary, so he knows exactly what businesses in our area are thinking and what they need from government.
I know I’ve barely scratched the surface of small businesses in our community, so please keep telling me about your favourite cafes, shops and traders to visit!
Taking action on shoplifting and antisocial behaviour
On Thursday I caught up with Chief Supt Felicity Parker, the Thames Valley Police Berkshire West Area Commander. We discussed a range of issues that residents have raised with me including shoplifting and illegal bikes.
I was pleased to hear that the police have been successful in taking action on shoplifting and continue to work to seize illegal bikes. We also discussed the proposed Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for Reading Borough. The PSPO will help to make our public spaces safer by giving the police powers to crack down on illegal e-bikes and e-scooters, on-street begging and nuisance street drinking.
If you have not already had the chance to have your say on the introduction of the PSPO, you can do so here
Smart Works
I had an amazing morning at Smart Works on Tuesday hearing about the invaluable careers support they give to women in Berkshire who are out of work.
They offer careers advice, dressing services to provide women with high quality interview clothing, and interview preparation sessions – and have fantastic results with 67% of the women they support getting a job within a month.
You can find out more about the work that they do here
Neuraxpharm
At the beginning of the week, I visited Neuraxpharm UK in Theale. Neuraxpharm is a pharmaceutical business that specialises in conditions affecting the central nervous system. It was great to hear about their plans for growth and great to see pharmaceutical innovation happening right here in Reading West and Mid Berkshire.
Interest rates are coming down under Labour
Under the Conservatives, interest rates got higher and higher – locking young people out of home ownership and squeezing the budgets of people with mortgages across Reading West and Mid Berkshire
In contrast, rates have been cut five times since the General Election.
This is the impact of a responsible Labour government putting the economy back on track, and means more money in people’s pockets.
There will be a break in my newsletter for the next three weeks with the next one at the beginning of September. However, my office remains open and if there are any issues that you would like to raise with me, please do get in touch.
Best wishes for the rest of August.
Olivia