The Lib Dems will be hoping voters in Newbury take a punt on them in the forthcoming local elections
By Helen Catt
Political correspondent
West Berkshire is where the countryside and the chalk downs meet the commuter belt.
The market town of Newbury, with its famous racecourse, is 40 minutes by train from London.
For much of the last 20 years, the council has been run by the Conservatives.
It’s the sort of place which the Liberal Democrats call the “Blue Wall” and where they think they are ‘odds on’ to make gains.
All 43 seats on West Berkshire Council are up for election. The Conservatives currently have 24, Lib Dems 16 and independents hold three. The Lib Dems think they’ve got a strong chance of seizing control.
While the party’s national operation focuses on sewage, the NHS and the cost of living, the local campaign also plays to street-level concerns, such as potholes.
There’s also a very local row in Newbury about what should happen to a council-owned former football ground and, as with many other rural areas, concerns about housing developments
The Lib Dems see an opportunity at these elections to attract liberal Conservative voters turned off by recent political turmoil and who are feeling the pinch of a hike in costs such as mortgages.
They also think they can appeal to people who’ve moved out of more urban areas.
At Newbury Racecourse, Eve and Tom are enjoying a day out at the flat racing.
Eve used to live in Reading, but the couple moved to West Berkshire two years ago.
She says they chose it because it wasn’t “as built up”.
They say the feel “quite neutral” about the Lib Dems but agree their votes are “absolutely” up for grabs.
Tom says life has been OK and “workwise, even “good” under the Conservatives but he’s open to change.
“I do appreciate there may need to be a time for change and maybe now is the time. It’s been difficult circumstances.”
The Liberal Democrats have had some spectacular wins over the Tories in recent parliamentary by-elections such as Chesham and Amersham, North Shropshire and Tiverton and Honiton.
Tom and Eve say their votes are up for grabs in the forthcoming local elections
These successes have not, though, led to a sustained boost in their national poll ratings, which are currently at 9%.
They are now focusing their efforts on positioning themselves as the main challenger in Tory-held areas mostly, but not entirely, in the Home Counties and southern England.
Round the corner from the stands, we meet Eddie who is more firmly enthusiastic about the Liberal Democrats.
“They are more aligned with what my sort of beliefs are politically.”
He’s also impressed by their “ground game”. “I’ve seen more of them, you know, just walking down the high street. I know we have Conservative at the moment, but I haven’t seen any Conservative activity,” he says.
For Eddie, the cost of living, cuts to public services and the environment are major voting issues.
Although nobody at Newbury races raises it specifically on our visit, sewage in rivers and the sea is a key focus of the Lib Dems’ campaign.
They are also pushing hard on access to GPs and hospitals.
In the Long Bar overlooking the course, Marion tells us it’s something she is worried about in West Berkshire.
“I think it’s just about the waiting times, the period for people to see consultants. To get follow-throughs with appointments, to get operations that are needed.
“I think there is probably a big black hole there, that a lot of us don’t really realise. How many people need healthcare that they are not getting.”
So what does she think of the Lib Dems?
“I have got various leaflets at home, which tell me we what each is one is doing. I haven’t read them yet. I just need to do a bit of research, I think, before I actually vote.”
Racehorse trainer Hugh says he’s unpersuaded by the Lib Dems
For some though, their pitch isn’t proving a winner.
Racehorse trainer Hugh, who I speak to as he’s watching to see if his horse will place, says he still believes the Conservatives are more “financially astute” despite recent economic events and he’s unpersuaded by the Lib Dems.
“The Liberal Democrats, I think, historically, have been brilliant at telling us lots of good things and actually never delivering.”
In the late 1990s to early 2000s, the Liberal Democrats controlled West Berkshire council.
For the party now, these elections are a test of whether the Lib Dems can continue to rebuild support and get enough voters to switch horses in place likes this, to pose a serious threat to the Conservatives at a general election.
This is the latest in a series of articles looking at the local elections. You can read Helen’s analysis of the Green party’s campaign in West Suffolk here, and we’ll be covering the Conservatives and Labour in the coming days.
