Government must cancel October energy price rise to save families in Wokingham, £150,560,989.

Wokingham's Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate, Clive Jones has called on the Government to spare families from soaring energy bills by cancelling October’s price cap increase, accusing the Conservatives of “stalling in the face of a national emergency”.

The bold plan would save a typical household in Wokingham an extra £2212.65 a year. The 70% increase in the energy price cap expected to be announced by Ofgem later this month would be cancelled, with the Government instead paying the shortfall to energy suppliers so that they can afford to supply customers at the current rates.

This would mean a total estimated saving for households in Wokingham of £150,560,989 off their electricity and gas bills.

The Liberal Democrats say the estimated £36 billion cost should be met by expanding the windfall tax on oil and gas company profits, and using the Government’s higher-than-expected VAT revenues as a result of soaring inflation.

The party is also calling for more targeted support for vulnerable and low income households. This would include doubling the Warm Homes Discount to £300 and extending it to all those on Universal Credit and Pension Credit, while investing in insulating fuel poor homes to bring prices down in the long term.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson Clive Jones said:

“Hard-working families in Wokingham are already struggling to make ends meet, and are deeply concerned about how they will cope with the predicted rise in energy bills.

“This Conservative Government is stalling in the face of a national emergency and, yet again, is simply not doing enough to put money back in the pockets of hard-working people.

“Countless families and pensioners across Wokingham are already struggling, and they cannot wait for a new Conservative leader to act. 

“This is an emergency, and the Government must step in now to help families and pensioners in Wokingham by cancelling the planned rise in energy bills this October.

In a shocking investigation of dentistry services across the UK, analysis by the BBC has found that 100% of dentistry practices in Wokingham are not accepting any new NHS patients.

The local Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Wokingham, Clive Jones has demanded a Health Minister visit dentistry practice in Wokingham to see for themselves how bad the situation is.

Clive Jones also wants the Minister to meet with local people who have been forced to wait in agony for months due to a lack of NHS dentist appointments. 

The figures were released alongside harrowing accounts of DIY dentistry as hard-working families and pensioners struggle to find the affordable care that they need.

Responding to the figures, Wokingham Liberal Democrat Spokesperson Clive Jones said:

“People in our area should know if they are in pain or face a health emergency that the NHS is there for them. Yet these scandalous figures prove NHS dentistry in Wokingham is at breaking point. 

“Our NHS dental system is broken because this Government has failed to stump up the cash.  

“People are being forced to spend hundreds if not thousands of pounds on private dental care with some even resorting to their own at-home DIY dentistry.

“The fault for this lies solely with the Conservative Government. They have done next to nothing to tackle this crisis. Shamefully we haven’t heard anything at all from Sunak or Truss on the dental crisis, despite being people living in agony. 

“I demand Health Ministers to visit Wokingham and meet with local dentists and patients to hear just how bad things are here.

“It is high time that the NHS dentist contract were reformed, and plans brought forward to recruit more local NHS dentists, so no matter where you live you know you can get the NHS dental care you need.

We continue to work to reduce the housing numbers imposed on the borough by this Conservative government.

Everyone recognizes the need to have enough new housing to meet local needs.  Our children and their children should have the opportunity to live in the communities in which they were brought up.  As we live in an area with high house prices (despite the last thirty years or more of intensive development), those in our community who are struggling on low incomes are priced out of the housing market.  We must make sure they have a decent home by increasing the proportion of social rental and affordable housing in the total housing stock in the borough.

But most residents share our view that the borough cannot accommodate the rate of new build dictated by the Conservatives targets without highly damaging consequences - the destruction of much of our beautiful countryside, the clogging up our already congested roads and the altering the character of our area forever. Wokingham is a semi-rural area and we want it to remain that way.

We have therefore been lobbying the government to put the case for revising its target downwards.  We seemed to be getting somewhere when Michael Gove was the Secretary of State for levelling Up, only for him to be sacked by Boris Johnson and replaced by a new secretary of state.  We are lobbying him as vigorously as we did his predecessor.  

We have met with and agreed a common approach with the borough's MPs and most recently we have written to neighbouring southern councils to work together to present a united case.  Partnership - the central theme of the new Lib Dem administration at Wokingham - is the way forward here as it is in so many other areas of the council's activities.

We will spare no effort to get our message heard by the government.

Our case is a strong one.  It rests partly on arguments that apply particularly to Wokingham.  The borough has over-delivered on new housing in the past, and we are seeking to have that over-delivery recognized by a deduction from the new target.  

But our most fundamental argument against the government's housing allocation applies to many other council's in our region.  We all want to see changes in how the government sets its target.  If the levelling-up agenda is anything more than rhetoric, it ought to involve encouraging more house building in the North, where jobs and investment are much needed, and not encouraging more and more people to move from the North to the crowded and South-East.'

Daisy Cooper visited Wokingham on Thursday 30Ith June. After lunch with members, she joined us in some door knocking. It's always lovely to have a Lib Dem MP in Wokingham!

Rachel Bishop-Firth, Executive member for Equalities, Inclusion and Fighting Poverty, says: "This is a vital first step in fighting poverty in Wokingham and thanking all the officers, voluntary and community sector workers and cross party Councillors who made this happen."

https://wokingham.today/new-executive-approve-updated-anti-poverty-strategy-aimed-at-helping-struggling-wokingham-residents/

On taking control of Wokingham Borough Council, the finances show a worrying gap in bus budgets

https://wokingham.today/wokingham-borough-has-serious-budget-issues-warns-new-council-leader-clive-jones/

Leader Clive has secured a promise from Leveling-up minister Michael Gove to come and visit Wokingham to discuss a reduction in housing numbers.

https://wokingham.today/michael-gove-promises-to-visit-wokingham-to-discuss-housing-numbers/

https://wokingham.today/from-the-leader-looking-forward-to-working-with-mr-gove/

The Wokingham Liberal Democrats are saddened and appalled at the revelations from Wokingham.Today about Conservative Councillors actively disrupting the democratic process.

https://wokingham.today/revealed-wokingham-conservatives-secret-plans-to-disrupt-and-exploit-council-meetings/

Wokingham LibDem leader Clive Jones’ first letter after becoming leader of Wokingham Borough Council has been to Rt.Hon. Michael Gove, the secretary of State for Levelling, Up, Communities and Housing.  The letter requests a meeting to discuss housing numbers in Wokingham, and highlights the concerns of residents as to how the planning system is failing our borough and the need for a positive strategy for development which is fair and achievable for all places. You can read the letter in full here.

We have a vacancy for a paid campaign organiser.

Job Title: Wokingham Campaign Organiser           

Responsible to: Tom Wood (Liberal Democrats Campaigns Department)

Salary: £25-£30k, depending upon experience        

Hours: 35pw but expected to be flexible during peak periods.        

Tenure: 2 Years fixed contract, including 6-month probationary period. 

Location: The working location is Wokingham Borough area and you will be expected to be in the borough as required.  Home-based when not required to be local, moving to local office accommodation if and when this becomes available.

Closing date: 31^st May 2022

Purpose of the job

Clive Jones, the PPC for Wokingham and the Liberal Democrats are seeking an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who can plan and organise campaign activity, build campaigning capacity and manage a team of volunteers.

Context of Job

Wokingham is complex and dynamic area, with the local party being organised in alignment with the Borough Council area. The Wokingham Constituency seat is a Top 20 target seat for the next general election. Wokingham Borough Council has now moved to ‘No Overall Control’. Majority control of the council is also now within the future reach of the Lib Dems and would be a major boost to the parliamentary campaign.

The Wokingham constituency also covers areas of West Berkshire and Wokingham Borough Council also incorporates areas of three other constituencies. The whole area is currently subject to boundary reviews, which will bring the constituency more into line with the Borough Council boundaries and importantly, make Wokingham an even more winnable seat.

The primary focus of this role will be to campaign in the current parliamentary constituency. However, it will also be expected to support campaigning to gain control of the borough council as  an important stepping-stone in its own right but also in anticipation of boundary changes.  

There is already a strong local team in place and the jobholder will be the key ‘Enabler’ who will make it possible for the team to raise their performance to a whole new level.
This is a fantastic opportunity to lead and deliver a campaign and build the infrastructure and organisation necessary to elect a Lib Dem MP in a ‘Blue Wall’ constituency at the next General Election - and rid parliament of John Redwood.

Description:
Primary Tasks

• Take overall responsibility for organising the delivery of the agreed constituency and borough campaign plan, as agreed between the local party Campaign Task Force Chair, the PPC (Clive Jones) and the local party, Wokingham Borough Liberal Democrats.
• Building campaigning and organisational capacity – including recruiting members, donors, deliverers and poster sites.
• Building and managing a team of constituency volunteers who oversee all aspects of capacity building and campaigning.
  
  

Secondary Tasks

• Designing and delivering an ongoing programme of doorstep communication with voters.
• Assisting with the coordination of delivery of campaign literature.
• Maintaining relevant databases e.g. deliverers, donors, poster sites etc.
• Organising events e.g. action days, social events, etc.
• Supporting fundraising and assisting with fundraising campaigns and events as required.
• Attending relevant conferences, training and other meetings as required.

Person Specification:

The following criteria are considered essential:

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to lead, mobilise and manage volunteers.
• Exceptional personal organisation.
• Ability to multi-task.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision, self-motivating and able manage own workload.
• Excellent written communication skills with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Familiarity with current issues within UK politics and sympathy with the values and principles of the Liberal Democrats.

The following criteria are considered highly desirable:

• Experience of delivering effective Liberal Democrat campaigns.
• Experience of Liberal Democrat software and databases (e.g. Affinity Publisher, NationBuilder & Connect)
• Full UK driving license and access to a vehicle.

Key Performance Indicators

These will be agreed with the successful candidate but are expected to include metrics membership numbers, activation of volunteers and delivery of the resources (financial and other) required to sustain a successful two-year campaign up to the next general election.  

Starting date: ASAP.

How to apply:

Please take a few minutes to complete our Equality and Diversity Monitoring Forms   then proceed with your application.

• A full CV of no more than two pages and including a telephone number and email address
• A covering letter (no more than one A4 page) setting out why you want the job and how your experience and skills are relevant to it To be considered for this position, please submit your application to [email protected]

We will be reviewing applications as they come in and reserve the right to appoint prior to the closing date

Please note:  We will not be able to employ you if you are not eligible to work in the UK. We will not be able to obtain a work permit on your behalf.

Applicants are encouraged to inform us if any reasonable adjustments are needed to be made during any part of the recruitment process.

Please let us have details of your current salary and two referees including one from your current employer – if you would prefer us not to contact them until a later stage of the selection process, please let us know.

We will not notify applicants if their application has been unsuccessful at shortlisting stage.

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