April

INTERNATIONALLY, Donald Trump’s cries of ‘fake news’ were looking more and more credible as political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica closed after a massive Facebook data-breach gave it 87 million users’ personal information.

Closer to home, The Wokingham

Paper revealed, on Thursday

March 29, that local firm ‘Cantley Analytica’ was using Facebook to predict who’d drop litter. However, the statement that Ms Dora

Albury would be dropping a can of Monster energy drink on Goatley Way on Tuesday was incorrect. We’d like to apologise for this error. It should have said Sunday.

As the borough’s local election campaigns ground into gear, John Redwood’s warning from January 2017 that Grazeley plans “could

backfire” seemed to edge closer to reality as opposition fears of a £50M shortfall ending up on council tax bills were made known.

Conservatives announced an ambitious ‘Rent to Buy’ scheme for first time house buyers as part of their election manifesto, together with a range of other measures to deliver the best for the borough.

But this promising start faltered when their Arborfield candidate decided to delete some Facebook posts.

Incensed, the resident whose posts had been deleted mounted a publicity campaign with such vigour that the candidate’s election efforts never really recovered.

Rats in the borough showed their contempt for the new housing developments by moving into nearby residents’ homes. This led to the discovery that WBC doesn’t have a team of rat-catchers on immediate stand-by, contrary to popular belief.

The Conservative campaign received further setbacks when it became known that town mayor and leading light of the local party had links with far-right groups. Rather than let things fester as an ongoing gift for the opposition, he immediately resigned his role, his seat and his party.