Reading Liberal Democrats have launched their campaign for the 2026 borough council elections, naming a full slate of 17 candidates standing across the town from Abbey to Whitley. The party says Reading's communities have been let down by decades of Labour and Conservative mismanagement and are offering an alternative to those parties and to Reform.
Tilehurst councillor Meri O'Connell will lead the Lib Dem team. The party points out Labour has run the council for 39 of the last 40 years and says with Labour now in government at Westminster there is nowhere for it to hide in Reading. They say progressive, liberal voices must stand up locally to deliver for their communities.
The Lib Dems also urged voters to bring a valid voter ID to the polling station on Thursday, May 7 and to check the Electoral Commission website for which ID is acceptable and how to get one for free. The party criticised the previous Conservative government's voter ID policy as a waste that has harmed people's ability to vote.
Candidates:
- Henry Wright - Abbey
- John Grout - Battle
- Anthony Spencer - Caversham
- Vania Costa-Krol - Caversham Heights
- Jo Ramsay - Caversham Heights
- Mark Cole - Church
- Christopher Ward - Coley
- Nishikant Gupta - Emmer Green
- Sarah Dobson - Katesgrove
- Jibril Al-Nahabani - Kentwood
- Brandon Masih - Norcot
- Jassien Sabri - Park
- Christopher Wilson - Redlands
- Benjamin Sims - Southcote
- Christopher Burden - Thames
- Meri O'Connell - Tilehurst
- Pieter De Boiserie - Whitley
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
Bracknell Approves 29 New Homes at Bucklers' Park
