Reading Borough local election candidates

I note with some interest the list of Labour candidates for the forthcoming local elections in Reading.  I note the list of candidates for other parties with some interest too, particularly in Battle ward, where not one but two candidates for other parties were formerly Labour:

Battle

Conservative – Ali Asghar

Labour – Sarah-Jane Hacker daughter of former Labour mayor Chris Maskell, a thoroughly odious creature who nearly went Independent but was bullied by Martin Salter into staying Labour.

Lib Dem – Uda Chalk  Uda is a good person who used to be active in the Labour Party in Katesgrove and left in some disgust.  Battle is the ward in Reading with the largest Afro-Caribbean population, but Labour has never selected a candidate from such an ethnicity before, white boys only for them up to now - so Uda may find she picks up some support, and in any case there has always been a vestigial Liberal vote in Battle which never went away.  Also, those who would have wished to vote for Cllr Tony Jones, formerly Labour and now Independent, who is not standing at the local elections, need somewhere to go

Green – Alan Lockey former Labour organiser in Church ward and I believe Labour candidate on occasion, widower of former Labour mayor Maureen Lockey.  Maureen's funeral had not even taken place when the boys were meeting to impose a candidate on Church ward.

The Roman Party – Jean-Louis Pascal

Commonsense Party – Michael Diamond

2008 Result: Lab 911 / Cons 486 / LD 253 / Green 219

I notice also that the Labour candidate for Caversham (which used to have three Labour councillors and now has none) has been swiftly despatched, being from an ethnic minority and we can't have THAT now can we, to be replaced by Lesley Owen, nice woman who is unfortunately a stooge when required and has checked in her integrity and most of her brain on the boys' instructions; I also notice that the Green candidate for Thames is Danny McNamara, a good man who used to be a splendid Labour activist and very nearly got elected in Minster at least once but who refused to check in his integrity and thus departed.  The Greens are lucky to have him.

At least one commenter has wondered who I am going to write about now that Martin Salter has departed - they have it wrong, this blog is not about Martin Salter.  The commenter suggests I might wish to write about the parliamentary candidates for Reading West at this election.  Er, no.  I have mentioned the Green candidate, Adrian Windisch, whom I do know slightly and who I think is a very good man and deserves your vote if you live in that constituency, but I do not know the others personally and I have little interest in the constituency.  All the interesting things in Reading happen in Reading East.  As they always have.     Up to now.