The Labour Party ‘Battle Bus’ has stopped off at the Shinfield Studios for a general election rally as makes its way through the country.

Reading Labour MP candidates, councillors and activists all welcomed the bus to the Earley and Woodley constituency.

Senior Labour incumbents Anneliese Dodds and Chris Bryant then disembarked the bus for stump speeches.

Mrs Dodds said: “I know all of you have been working really hard.

“This really is an important place, because if we can make sure we have a Labour victory here, that will be the path to No.10 for Sir Kier Starmer as well, and we can really show that change is possible.

“That is what we’re determined to deliver, our country desperately needs it.

“The Conservatives have learned nothing, but Labour has been listening to people, including in communities like this one.

“We know people desperately want change in the NHS to get crime down, to get our economy moving again, and that’s what we’ll deliver if we can win here.”

Mrs Dodds is the Labour candidate for the Oxford East constituency and the current chair of the party.

She was joined by Mr Bryant, Labour candidate for Rhondda and Ogmore and was the Shadow Minister for Creative Industries and Digital.

He noted the importance of Shinfield Studios and other creative industries to Berkshire and the country’s economy.

Mr Bryant said: “We need to be so focused on economic growth in this country.

“If we want to be able to deliver the hospitals, schools and public services we want we need it.

“And blimey, does anything in this country work after 14 years? Is anything better?

“I want to say along with the Sugababes, ‘push the button!’

“It’s time to press the reset button on this country!”

The pair were welcomed by Yuan Yang, the Labour candidate for Earley and Woodley.

Yuan said: “We’re out across the whole constituency every day speaking to residents and we keep hearing again and again that they want change, and that they see that change in the Labour Party.

“Our top priority locally is to rebuild the NHS by building a new Royal Berkshire Hospital that’s fit for the 21st century, that’s fit for the population of areas like Shinfield.”

The rally was attended by Olivia Bailey, the Labour candidate for Reading West and Mid Berkshire, Matt Rodda, the incumbent Labour candidate for Reading Central, Monica Hamidi, Labour candidate for Wokingham, and Reading and Wokingham Borough councillors.

Once the rally was done, the ‘Battle Bus’ headed west along the M4.

Earley and Woodley is being closely competed by the Conservatives, with their candidate cllr Pauline Jorgensen welcoming Tom Tugendhat and Robert Jenrick to the constituency in recent visits.

Meanwhile, Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, has made regular visits to the area, on trips to the Royal Berkshire Hospital and Wokingham.