SKETCH: A sea of yellow in the chamber

A SEA of yellow greeted visitors to the council chamber on Thursday, May 19, as history was made.

The colourful name placards placed on the Lib Dem benches was the clearest sign of the change that took place at the Wokingham Borough Council elections earlier this month.

Seven years ago, when new leader Cllr Clive Jones was first elected to Wokingham Borough Council, there were just a handful compared to the dominance of the Conservatives.

But thanks to the way in which Wokingham elects its councillors – 18 every year bar the fourth year – this change has been creeping in.

Now it is reality and, for the first time in 20 years, the Conservatives are in opposition. For an area where the joke is stick a blue rosette on a cuddly toy and it will get elected, this is a shock.

The annual council meeting is always one with a bit of pomp and circumstance. The new mayor and deputy are appointed, and there’s always a bit of a tussle over who sits on which committee.

But to have a new leader?

And from a different side of the chamber? That’s something.

The Conservatives are calling it a coalition, for the Lib Dems, Labour and the two independents a partnership. However you dice it, it’s history.

Cllr Jones said that looking around the chamber reminded him of how far the party had come.

“When I joined the council six years ago, we were just a small group in the corner of the council chamber. Now we are 23 Liberal Democrats, and it is a great feeling, really good.”

The party won eight seats not long after his election, followed by three last year and then five this year, giving them their bumper share.

“We are on a roll, we are doing very well,” Cllr Jones said. “I expect us to run the council very well and hopefully we’ll make some more gains again next year.”

That is going to be an interesting question, as the Conservatives will be keen to see their Rolls Royce, as former leader Cllr John Halsall described the borough, returned to them in immaculate condition.

“The good residents of Wokingham have spoken and voted for change,” he said.

“It happened on my watch, therefore I’m responsible and I have resigned as leader of the Conservative group and the council.”

Now, after some pomp, and puffing, the page has turned and a new chapter is being written.

For the new leader?

“I’m very, very excited. We have an awful lot to do,” he said.

“We’ve got lots of very difficult decisions to make, there are some financial problems coming down the road.”