Surpassing their own expectations
Royal Borough: Inclusivity pledge as Lib Dems win council majority
Lib Dems leader Simon Werner has called for a new era of ‘open and inclusive politics’ after his party’s surge to power in Windsor and Maidenhead.
The long-serving Pinkneys Green councillor had been quietly confident of depriving the ruling Conservatives of their majority at the 2023 local elections.
But the final result – 22 seats and Lib Dem control of the council – was beyond even his expectations.
“It’s better than we ever expected,” councillor Werner told the Advertiser shortly after the final ward announcement at 7.20am on Friday.
“Beating the leader of the council with a 22-year-old local lad (George Blundell) was an incredible result which we just weren’t expecting.
“I really want to try and be an open and inclusive council from now on.
“We’re going to be working with any councillor who wants to work with us.
“We’re not going to reject help from other parties.”
He added he wants to continue his partnerships with independent councillors, such as Old Windsor representative Lynne Jones, who secured re-election standing for the Old Windsor Residents’ Association.
‘Putting the borough at the heart of the community’ was the slogan used by councillor Werner after his party’s impressive electoral victory.
In practice, this will see the Lib Dems striving to keep roads clean, sort out potholes and putting climate change at the top of its agenda.
But the Lib Dems will also be tasked with navigating Maidenhead through its ongoing regeneration which has already seen work get underway on hundreds of towering flats at The Landing.
The council also remains in legal wranglings over the proposed multi-million pound Nicholsons Centre regeneration.
“Maidenhead is a wonderful place, it has fantastic schools, beautiful countryside and fantastic transport links,” councillor Werner told the Advertiser ahead of the vote count.
“But it has this town centre at the heart of it which doesn’t live up to the expectation of such an affluent town as Maidenhead.
“Building 18-storey tower blocks is not a solution, it’s not regeneration.
“I think there’s a lot of things we won’t be able to reverse because the 18-storey tower blocks have already been built.
“We need to go through all the contracts the Conservatives have signed in secret to find out what leverage we have to try and improve some of these schemes.”