Accusations fly over train petitions

Labour and Liberal Democrats in commuter tug o' war as unmanned train stations row rumbles on

THE West Berkshire Labour Party has claimed it is the victim of a political hijacking.

Following the launch of their ‘Save our Stations' petition on Monday at Tilehurst train station, party members took their clipboards to Thatcham station on Thursday morning only to be met with the sight of West Berkshire Council ward member for Thatcham West (Lib Dem), Keith Woodhams, collecting signatures for a similar cause.

Now Labour party spokesman Richard Garvie has accused the Liberal Democrats of deliberately derailing his party's campaign to oppose the proposed closure of manned booths and of being weak and ineffectual in opposition.

“The Liberal Democrats are simply following our lead again,” he said.

“There is a long list of things they have followed us on, from the CCTV issue which we drove, to the unpopular Pavilion in Newbury and opposition to the day centre closures and now this. We are the real opposition in West Berkshire.”

He said despite being angry at Mr Woodhams appearance at the station on the morning of the pre-publicsed Labour campaign, he claimed they agreed to ignore politial boundaries and combine petitions only to see Mr Woodhams leave the station less than an hour later and take his signatures with him.

He claimed the 300 people who signed the Liberal Democrat form had been tricked into putting their names on meaningless and empty document which no-one would read.

The Liberal Democrat ward member for Theale, Alan Macro, was at Theale train station on the same morning also collecting signatures.

Both Mr Macro and Mr Woodhams presented their petitions to a full meeting of West Berkshire Council on Thursday evening stating their party's opposition to the report by Sir Roy McNulty which has advised the closure of manned ticket booths at small stations, and would see the axing of 675 offices in England and Wales including Tilehurst, Thatcham, Theale, and Pangbourne.

The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Jeff Brooks (Thatcham West), vehemently dismissed Mr Garvie's claims and defended his party.

“Keith (Woodhams) was out there at half five collecting names to be put before the council that evening,” he said.

“We had no idea Labour would be out, we were collecting names to be put before West Berkshire Council that night to give traction to the opposition and get the entire council behind it. We are not trying to claim it is a Lib Dem issue.

“Mr Garvie is not an elected councillor the last time I checked.”

Mr Garvie said more than 500 signatures were collected on Thursday morning,which sent a clear message to the Government about the strength of feeling amongst West Berkshire commuters.

He said commuters, union officials and Labour Party members will attend Thatcham station again and are also planning to visit Pangbourne, Theale and Mortimer in the coming weeks.