A former senior councillor in Reading has quit Labour to join the Green Party.
Former senior Reading councillor Ashley Pearce has left Labour and joined the Green Party.
Pearce was a Labour councillor from 2014 to 2022 and served as the council’s lead member for education for four years. He retired from the council at the end of the 2021/22 municipal year.
He said he left because Labour “has moved away from the values that first inspired me to get involved in politics.” He added: “As a teacher and union rep, Labour recommending a real terms pay cut to my profession hurt.” Explaining his choice, he said: “I have joined the Green Party because they offer honesty, fairness, and real hope for a better future for people and the planet. The Greens listen. They act. And they speak up for communities who deserve better.”
Councillor Rob White, leader of the Greens on Reading Borough Council, said: “We are very happy to welcome Ashley to the party. He has always worked hard for local people, and it is clear how much he cares about doing the right thing.” He pointed readers to the local party’s get‑involved page: https://reading.greenparty.org.uk/get-involved.
Pearce represented Church ward, covering the eastern part of Whitley from Christ Church to the Shinfield Road shops at the Wokingham boundary. At his retirement, then-council leader Jason Brock said: “He [Mr Pearce] has done an incredible job in building relationships between the council and the borough’s schools, especially during the challenges of the pandemic.”
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
