Following discussions with other Political Parties in Reading who are fielding candidates in this years Local Elections, I am pleased to confirm that I will also be lending my support to the Clean Campaign Pledge to ensure a positive Election Campaign in Reading this year.
I am not sure at this stage which other parties will be signing up to this pledge but the Clean Campaign Pledge States:
We, the undersigned, pledge in the Reading Borough local election campaign:
- To show by our actions that politics can be a clean and positive activity, engaged in genuinely for the good of all.
- To tell the truth about what we have achieved and stand for and, and about what others have achieved and stand for.
- To refrain from making personal attacks against, or misleading statements about, other candidates in written literature or verbally.
- Not to mislead the public about who is doing well and about who is likely to win in these elections.
- To make only honest and reasonable promises.
- To fight a clean, positive and honest campaign around the issues that concern the people of Reading
- In particular, to be honest about public spending, and not to scaremonger in ways that may frighten the most vulnerable members of our society, such as children and elderly people.
- To take money only from organisations and individuals whose motives in giving us money we do not have reason to suspect.
Although this pledge covers the obvious intolerance to racist or homophobic discrimination, I have requested that a line is added to make it clear that any form of discrimination is not acceptable. It’s sad that it has to be added in this day and age!