Local elections 2023: Lib Dems spy winning post in Blue Wall council race

West Berkshire is wherever the countryside and the chalk downs conscionable the commuter belt.

The marketplace municipality of Newbury, with its celebrated racecourse, is 40 minutes by bid from London.

For overmuch of the past 20 years, the assembly has been tally by the Conservatives.

It's the benignant of spot which the Liberal Democrats telephone the "Blue Wall" and wherever they deliberation they are 'odds on' to marque gains.

All 43 seats connected West Berkshire Council are up for election. The Conservatives presently person 24, Lib Dems 16 and independents clasp three. The Lib Dems deliberation they've got a beardown accidental of seizing control.

While the party's nationalist cognition focuses connected sewage, the NHS and the outgo of living, the section run besides plays to street-level concerns, specified arsenic potholes.

There's besides a precise section enactment successful Newbury astir what should hap to a council-owned erstwhile shot crushed and, arsenic with galore different agrarian areas, concerns astir lodging developments

The Lib Dems spot an accidental astatine these elections to pull wide Conservative voters turned disconnected by caller governmental turmoil and who are feeling the pinch of a hike successful costs specified arsenic mortgages.

They besides deliberation they tin entreaty to radical who've moved retired of much municipality areas.

At Newbury Racecourse, Eve and Tom are enjoying a time retired astatine the level racing.

Eve utilized to unrecorded successful Reading, but the mates moved to West Berkshire 2 years ago.

She says they chose it due to the fact that it wasn't "as built up".

They accidental the consciousness "quite neutral" astir the Lib Dems but hold their votes are "absolutely" up for grabs.

Tom says beingness has been OK and "workwise, adjacent "good" nether the Conservatives but he's unfastened to change.

"I bash admit determination whitethorn request to beryllium a clip for alteration and possibly present is the time. It's been hard circumstances."

These successes person not, though, led to a sustained boost successful their nationalist canvass ratings, which are presently astatine 9%.

They are present focusing their efforts connected positioning themselves arsenic the main challenger successful Tory-held areas mostly, but not entirely, successful the Home Counties and confederate England.

Round the country from the stands, we conscionable Eddie who is much firmly enthusiastic astir the Liberal Democrats.

"They are much aligned with what my benignant of beliefs are politically."

He's besides impressed by their "ground game". "I've seen much of them, you know, conscionable walking down the precocious street. I cognize we person Conservative astatine the moment, but I haven't seen immoderate Conservative activity," helium says.

For Eddie, the outgo of living, cuts to nationalist services and the situation are large voting issues.

Although cipher astatine Newbury races raises it specifically connected our visit, sewage successful rivers and the oversea is simply a cardinal absorption of the Lib Dems' campaign.

They are besides pushing hard connected entree to GPs and hospitals.

In the Long Bar overlooking the course, Marion tells america it's thing she is disquieted astir successful West Berkshire.

"I deliberation it's conscionable astir the waiting times, the play for radical to spot consultants. To get follow-throughs with appointments, to get operations that are needed.

"I deliberation determination is astir apt a large achromatic spread there, that a batch of america don't truly realise. How galore radical request healthcare that they are not getting."

So what does she deliberation of the Lib Dems?

"I person got assorted leaflets astatine home, which archer maine we what each is 1 is doing. I haven't work them yet. I conscionable request to bash a spot of research, I think, earlier I really vote."

For immoderate though, their transportation isn't proving a winner.

Racehorse trainer Hugh, who I talk to arsenic he's watching to spot if his equine volition place, says helium inactive believes the Conservatives are much "financially astute" contempt caller economical events and he's unpersuaded by the Lib Dems.

"The Liberal Democrats, I think, historically, person been superb astatine telling america tons of bully things and really ne'er delivering."

In the precocious 1990s to aboriginal 2000s, the Liberal Democrats controlled West Berkshire council.

For the enactment now, these elections are a trial of whether the Lib Dems tin proceed to rebuild enactment and get capable voters to power horses successful spot likes this, to airs a superior menace to the Conservatives astatine a wide election.

This is the latest successful a bid of articles looking astatine the section elections. You tin work Helen's investigation of the Green party's run successful West Suffolk here, and we'll beryllium covering the Conservatives and Labour successful the coming days.