The new leader of the Liberal Democrats on Reading Borough Council has pledged to hold Labour to account.

Councillor James Moore, a representative for Tilehurst ward, has been named the new leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the council, taking over from cllr Meri O’Connell, also a representative for Tilehurst.

Laying out his priorities as leader, cllr Moore said: “Across the coming year in the face of a shambolic Conservative government we’re still holding Labour to account, they still have a responsibility to run things effectively.

“We’ll be looking at everything critically, Labour can’t just excuse themselves because of what the national government is doing.

“So we’ll be critical friends of the Labour group, we’ll hold them to account when needed but we won’t be taking cheap shots.

“We supported their Budget because we felt there were not many other options, but we did not support their Corporate Plan, because it was not ambitious enough.

“We’ll be judging things with an even hand, and will take that across any other issue that comes up.”

The council’s budget and Corporate Plan were both approved at a full council meeting on  Tuesday, February 28.

Cllr Moore will retain his position on the Planning Applications Committee, Strategic Environment, Planning and the Transport Committee Traffic Management Sub-Committee.

The Liberal Democrats have three elected councillors on Reading Borough Council.

All of them represent Tilehurst, will cllr Anne Thompson recently being re-elected following the 2023 Local Elections.

Cllr Moore was elected in the all out elections in 2022.

He is a product manager for the LEGO Group and a former chairman of the Reading Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).