An economics journalist at a leading international newspaper who lives in Earley has launched a campaign to become the MP for the area.
Yuan Yang, who is the Europe-China correspondent for the Financial Times is campaigning to become the Labour Party parliamentary candidate for the new Earley and Woodley constituency.
Along with her work as a journalist, she is also an economics campaigner and the current chair of the Earley and Woodley Labour Party.
Launching her campaign, Ms Yang said: “This is a new seat, and we can win it by working together.
“I’m a fresh candidate who wants to bring hope back to politics and I know we only succeed when we bring all of our communities together.
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“My family came to the UK when I was four years old bringing almost nothing with them, we eventually put down roots in Earley and are proud to call it home, along with the many new arrivals in our diverse community.
“Now I’m a local activist with a national platform as an experienced campaigner and journalist.
“I know how to speak to a wide audience and I know how important that will be to bring together the diverse parts of our constituency.”
Ms Yang’s campaign launch video shows her visiting the Woodley Precinct, South Reading Community Hub, Woodlands Avenue and Maiden Erlegh Nature Reserve.
She is also the co-founder of the Rethinking Economics campaign, a global network of students and organisers fighting for a new way of teaching and practising economics to ‘truly deal with the real-world challenges we face like climate collapse and inequality’.
Ms Yang said: “I’ve run successful large-scale campaigns, I founded an education charity that’s trained and mobilised thousands of activists.
“I’ve spoken to voters across the whole constituency suffering from the Tory’s bad economic choices.
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“I’m an economist and I know we deserve so much better than this. As your candidate, I’ll stand for an economy that’s fairer, and that supports both people and the planet.
“If you select me, I will step back from my job in order to campaign full-time, because we deserve a committed local candidate.
“I’ll continue to work tirelessly on the ground here locally, while also using my national platform to amplify our voices. Vote for me for the future of Earley and Woodley.”
Ms Yang has been praised by Martin Salter, the Labour MP for Reading West from 1997 to 2010.
Mr Salter said: “I’m impressed by Yuan’s energy, intellect and enthusiasm — all the qualities she’ll need to make a great MP for Earley and Woodley.”
The Earley and Woodley Labour Party was created in the summer after the Boundary Commission for England redrew the political map of England.
Ms Yang is one of four people who are campaigning to be selected by Labour members as their candidate for the new constituency.
Other contestants are councillor Rachel Eden (Labour, Whitley), Annie Gallop, who grew up in the area and serves as a Labour representative on Lambeth Council, and Hanif Khan, a former Hounslow councillor.
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