No, not the half-marathon! Or the Santa run! Who is in control of Reading Council, and who really scrutinises them, and holds them to account?
The real answer is that there are just a few Labour Councillors in the ruling clique, and there isn’t really any really governance or scrutiny.
Lead members do as they see fit, and ‘backbenchers’ vote as they’re told to.
There is even an Audit & Governance committee that has been nodding things through for years with a Conservative Chair who has now joined … the Labour Party!
And yet, scrutiny and governance have never been more needed as cuts hurt, costs rise, and Reading suffers under a one-party-state.
The truth is, with an acquiescent Tory Party, and only a tiny LibDem presence in Reading, the only real scrutiny is the Greens.
It is Green Councillors who for years have stood up for residents in meetings, and spoken truth to power.
The more Greens in the room, the better.
On Thursday 5th May, we can make a difference.