Councillor Tony Jones
Independent Councillor for Battle Ward, West Reading
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Welcome
"This website has been designed to assist the people of Battle Ward and the Oxford Road community to know more about my work on Reading Borough Council.
It also contains information on how to contact me.
I hope you find this site of help to you and welcome your feedback on how this can be made more useful."
Beresford Road Temporary ClosureBERESFORD ROAD is to be closed for approximately three hours overnight on Tuesday 7 July to allow a noisy carriageway cover to be replaced.Have Your Say On Crime!
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Statement released on 8th May 2008 LEAVING LABOUR BOTH MY GRANDFATHERS were coal miners. So being part of the labour movement is almost part of my DNA. But I spent the early part of my life attending non-conformist chapels in South Wales, so for me “my party right or wrong” has never been the deal. Now, after 33 years of membership, I have left the Labour Party. Over a period of time I have lost all confidence in the leadership of the Labour Party, both nationally and here in Reading. My reasons are many, but I will highlight a few which have driven me to end the longest relationship I have had in my life, excepting that with my parents. Nationally, the failure to honour the manifesto commitment to hold a referendum on the European Treaty was dressed up in patronising explanations about how different this was to a constitution because, for amongst other significant differences, the plans for an anthem had been dropped. We made a promise to the people. The disgraceful decision not to honour the independently adjudicated Police pay deal highlighted another breach of trust by this government. The ridiculous position of having to campaign to keep local Post Offices open as they are closed by a national government agency has been replicated all over the country. Of course community services cost money, but people are not “morons” and they see through this arms length hypocrisy. But most of all, I didn’t join the Labour Party to increase taxes for amongst the poorest in our community - even now Cabinet Ministers are claiming they have “dealt with” the 10p tax rate problem, which is not true - while the government can dither then find countless billions to bail out the failed bankers at Northern Rock, and MP’s argue for a £100,000 a year salary and freely enjoy the benefits of the John Lewis catalogue. In my view Gordon Brown is not capable of listening, learning or leading. If he was, he would have done so by now and we would not be in the mess we are in. Perhaps the more than 400 former Labour councillors across the country who lost their seats at the local elections are seen as expendable - it’s only when career MP’s see their livelihoods threatened things may change. Clearly, the voters will never learn to love Gordon Brown and he should go now. But just in case the demise of the Labour Council in Reading is blamed on national factors then consider the fact that on the same night that Labour lost control after 22 years, colleagues in Slough picked up 4 seats and took the mantle of being the only Labour controlled council in the South of England. No blaming the national government just a few miles down the M4. Locally I have become increasingly out of step with the leadership of the Labour group. David Sutton may have won plaudits for how Reading has changed. But if he cares to think about his last council meeting he will come to see that his political career has ended in ignominy. There are also differences in Battle ward. Who remembers “Education, education, education”? Yet we have near chaotic secondary school provision in Reading, Battle School back in special measures and Oxford Road School having to plead for extra cash to get their rotting windows replaced while the scaffolding is up with money only to replace the worst of them. Meanwhile a class room remains out of use. The promised new Health Centre as part of the deal for the redevelopment of the old Battle Hospital site is now being changed to some kind of watered down Well-Being Centre, with little or no clinical provision. The successful lottery bid to refurbish Battle Library is being mishandled, with plans having recently been cut back without any real public consultation. I resigned before the election but chose not to go public, so as to allow the election to take its course, without giving people the opportunity to say that I had either sabotaged or helped any particular candidate or party’s chances. But as the Reading Labour Group seems likely to retread the same paths as they have done over the past year or more, I can no longer stay. I now have two years to discover if there is room for an independent voice in local politics, or whether things inevitably must fall back to the national parties playing their pieces and the yah-boo pointlessness of most council meetings. I have never possessed the humility of my grandfathers, but I trust they would understand why I have taken this decision.
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THE EVER LENGTHENING SAGA around the quest to find new council offices has taken a new turn, with officers now being told to investigate "satellite offices" as part of a new solution.
consistently impressed with the vision Karen Salter has about what the school's priorities should be and I have no doubt that if money can be found to implement these plans, then things will see another huge step forward.
Visit Tony's Blog site which is currently considering "Imports Will Not Win In Reading West"
About Tony Jones
HARD WORKING COUNCILLOR
Don't just take our word for it. Here's what others say about Tony:
"Cllr Jones has campaigned tirelessly to clean up the Oxford Road and he is to be admired for that."
"Cllr Jones has always been at the forefront of the fight to lose the sleazy image attached to the Oxford Road and west Reading."
And "Popular Battle ward councillor".
HUGE EXPERIENCE
Tony was first elected to Reading Borough Council in 1984, when he replaced the "father of the council" Jack Price in Whitley Ward.
After a short break, Tony returned to the Council in 1991 when he beat Tory Rob Wilson for a seat in Redlands Ward.
In the mid 1990's Tony was Chair of Housing, leading 
the nationally acclaimed "Empty Homes Strategy" - which opened up over 500 disused properties in the town - and helped make Reading a top-rated housing authority.
Since 1999 Tony has represented Battle Ward, making it Labour's safest seat in Reading at the election in May 2006.
In 2001/2 Tony was Mayor of Reading. During his mayoral year he raised a record amount of money for charity - £55,000 - which remains a record today.
Tony also initiated the town twinning of Reading with Speightstown,Barbados.
Between 2005 and 2008 Tony was Chair of Reading Buses and oversaw the introduction of the world's first fleet of bio-ethanol double decker buses- powered by sugar waste - on route 17 and a million more passengers in Reading.
Tony left the Labour Party in 2008 and is the only Independent member of Reading Council.
RAISING MONEY FOR CHARITY
During Tony's time as a councillor he has also raised over £70,000 for charity.
The money raised has supported local children's charities, Reading Hospital's League of Friends, the Reading Football Academy and for the Asian Earthquake Appeal.
Tony is always looking for new sponsors to help with his charity fund-raising events, so get in touch if you can help!