Wokingham council leader stands down to focus on becoming an MP
He hopes to beat John Redwood at the next election
Liberal Democrat Clive Jones is stepping down as leader of Wokingham Borough Council to focus on his campaign to become an MP.
Cllr Jones told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he had “the best chance ever of getting a Lib Dem MP elected in Wokingham.” It comes a week after the Liberal Democrats became the largest group on Wokingham Borough Council in local elections on May 4.
The current MP for Wokingham Tory John Redwood told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Councillor Jones is very wise to stand down, having made such a mess of running the council for the last year.
“Why would he want to carry on to make himself even more unpopular?”
Cllr Jones launched his campaign to become MP in March last year. He said running the campaign and being council leader had been an “enormous challenge.”
The next general election is likely to take place in 2024—or January 28, 2025, at the very latest. If Jones is successful, his election would herald the first time that Wokingham has not had a Conservative MP since the constituency was created in 1950.
Although he is standing down as leader, he will continue to be a councillor for Hawkedon ward. He said Stephen Conway, Liberal Democrat councillor for Twyford, will replace him as leader.