The Greens in Reading are joining plumbers to call for a government scrappage scheme for household boilers.

Pledging to back a Downing Street petition calling for incentives to scrap old boilers in favour of newer, more efficient models, local Greens have put their weight behind an unlikely business ally: Mick Williams, a plumbers’ merchant based in Hampshire.

Rob White, Green candidate for Reading East said:

Dear Editor,

The fascist ‘National Front’ has announced plans to protest against the annual Reading Pride event on the 5th September. Reading Pride is a parade and festival celebrating the rich diversity of Reading and the achievements of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) people within our community.

Dear Editor,

I note the debate on cutting care in your letters pages. Some of your correspondents quite rightly attack the Tories in Wokingham and West Berkshire for cutting care to people with moderate and substantial needs -- leaving 2800 people in Reading worried should the Tories take control of Reading Council. But taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture, surely Gordon Brown and the Labour Government should also shoulder some of this blame for not providing councils with sufficient resources to meet the needs of local people -- as while Reading does currently care for people with moderate, substantial and critical needs its finances are creaking at the seams.

Following Martin Salter deciding not to stand, the LibDem PPC has now also given up. I always thought it was odd he was selected; he lives, works and campaigns in Oxford. Maybe they will get someone more local next time, who will do something in Reading; they do have Cllrs in the constituency after all. His claim that the LD are a real choice is a false one though, the LibDems are far too similar to the Tories.