New and returning councillors in Reading have been welcomed by the council leader as he has addressed concerns that the town could have become a ‘one party state’.

The council is currently in recess ahead of the new municipal year, which begins next week.

The municipal year always begins in May. This year it follows an election which saw Labour retain control with only one seat changing hands.

Labour candidate Sam Juthani was successfully able to beat incumbent Conservative councillor Paul Carnell.

Welcoming the result, Jason Brock (Labour, Southcote), Reading Borough Council leader said: “It’s amazing to have Sam Juthani elected up in Caversham Heights, it shows of course, the strength of the Labour Party in Reading, is across the entirety of the town and in Caversham Heights, the sort of ward that we never won and we never won its predecessor until last year, and now we have the majority of councillors in that ward wearing labour rosettes, it’s a fantastic thing.

“And similarly, it’s good to see all of my incumbent colleagues returned in wards across the borough.”

The predecessor ward for Caversham Heights was the old Thames ward which covered central Caversham north of Henley Road.

READ MORE: Reading election result 2023 sees Labour maintain power 

Ward boundary changes were made in 2022, which formed Caversham Heights and changed the Thames ward to straddle the river from which it takes its name.

Four other new councillors will be sworn in alongside cllr Juthani, with them being Ama Asare (Labour, Thames), Amjad Tarar (Labour, Battle), Stephen Goss (Conservative, Emmer Green) and Sarah Magon (Green, Park).

However, cllr Brock expressed his disappointment that Labour was unable to dislodge incumbent Conservative cllr Raj Singh in Kentwood with their candidate Mamuna Naz.

Cllr Brock said: “It is a bit disappointing, of course, that we didn’t get over the line in Kentwood, but it’s a challenging ward.

“And we know that Mark Keeping and Glen Dennis , the two incumbent labour councillors there have been doing a fantastic job of representing their community and will continue to do so.”

READ MORE: The new faces on Reading Borough Council following 2023 election

Cllr Brock also addressed the prospect that Reading could have become a ‘one party state’ if it won other target seats such as Emmer Green, held by the Conservatives, and those in Katesgrove and Park wards held by the Green Party.

He said: “It’s a good and healthy thing, of course, that there isn’t a one party state here in Reading.

“Opposition is an important part of democracy that helps us to be at our best.

“And I’ve always said, the great advantage of our committee system of governance is that it encourages scrutiny during the process of decision-making itself.

“So I think it’s really important that the opposition parties, Greens, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems all play their part in our committee system to ensure that our decisions are the best that they can possibly be.

READ MORE: Reading councillor with 50 years of service to become mayor

“Because at the end of the day, it’s not about political games.

“It’s not about partisanship, it’s about us being able to deliver for residents right across Reading.

“So they were really pleasing election results, some really sensational results elsewhere in the county.

“It’s nice that Reading has a bit of stability to allow us to crack on with many of those big projects that were driving forward.”

Neighbouring authorities Wokingham Borough Council and West Berkshire Council are both run by an executive, which involves councillors being appointed executive members to make decisions, which are then scrutinised by committees.

In Reading, committees made up of all parties on the council make major decisions.