this interview with the chief executive of Reading Borough Council, appointed after the murky departure of the shamed Trish Haines. He acknowledges that Labour has lost control of Reading Borough Council! Sack him immediately! The Labour Group cannot bear very much reality! Notice here that Zim One still presents herself, and may, who knows, even believe herself to be, the leader of a Labour council - even though she turned out to demonstrate, along with a Tory candidate, against that same council, at the behest of a Labour MP. This is so ridiculous that it would be funny if it were not such a tragedy. (ta for all the votes on my little poll, deselect her immediately, say the voters. That OK Mr Waite?)And finally, I do have to ask - where is Cllr Maskell? His website has been dark...

the debate in the Lords on the Crossrail Bill yesterday was a productive one, as you can see in Hansard here Note the many calls for the western terminus to be at Reading, especially from Lord Bradshaw (LibDem and former Oxfordshire county councillor I believe) and Lord Methuen (who he? but I liked what he had to say) and the contribution from Lord Berkeley, which was at his usual level of fabness, that is top of the scale. With all these noble lords taking an interest, those in Reading Borough Council who stopped working for Crossrail to come to Reading should hang their heads in shame. John Howarth (prop. Public Impact Ltd) has already resigned, shamed chief executive Trish "creature of the Labour Group" Haines has too, ahead of likely loss of Labour control in May. She told me...

I wished her well in her search for a new job, and she is in luckFrom: Chief Executive Priority Communication [mailto:ChiefExec.Priority.Communications@reading.gov.uk] Sent: 22 November 2007 10:09To: All UsersCc: 'cexpriorcomm@reading.gov.uk'Subject: Chief Executive Priority Communication - Announcement from the Ch ris ExecutiveIt will be publicly announced later this morning that I will be leaving my post here in Reading in March 2008, to take up the role of Chief Executive of Worcestershire County Council. As you will see in the press release below the move to Worcestershire takes me and my family back to where we have lived before and a place where we still have close family and friends.Over the past five years I have had a great time working with a terrific group of staff in Reading...

it says so in the Reading Evening Post, so it must be true. Look at it here. Then think about what the "story" actually says. Think too about what the Reading West MP is actually quoted as saying. He refers to a "long battle" for Crossrail to come to Reading, but correctly does not say that he himself has played any part in it. Wonder too why he is pictured there or quoted in the story at all, when it was not he who did anything to bring the story about. The Reading East MP is entirely correct in saying that a stopping metro-style service is exactly what Reading does not need, so it was right to include him in the story, because his view adds something. Er, and because Reading Station is in his constituency. Wonder though why Reading Borough Council withdrew its support and lobbying...