Reading mayor Tony Page to step down after 50 years
- Published
Councillor Tony Page (left) with deputy mayor Glenn Dennis
The longest-serving councillor of a town in southern England has announced he is stepping down after 50 years.
Current Mayor of Reading, Councillor Tony Page will retire in May 2024.
Breaking the news to his Labour colleagues, he said it had been "a huge honour and privilege to have represented the town centre area".
Former mayor and councillor David Stevens has been selected as the replacement candidate for Mr Page's old ward.
Mr Page was first elected at the age of 19 as a councillor for the now abolished Castle ward in 1973.
His long-spanning career has seen big changes in the town, such as the opening of The Oracle shopping centre and major upgrades to the main train station in 2014.
Mr Page also presided over changes to bus services as a chairman of Reading Buses.
He has had a busy year as mayor - opening Green Park railway station, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Reading Bridge and visiting Reading's twin town, Dusseldorf in Germany, for the Invictus Games.
He was also made an honorary Doctor of Letters at the University of Reading and opened the new Rivermead Leisure Centre.
Mr Page (centre) was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Reading
Prior to becoming mayor, he visited Reading, Pennsylvania, in the US to celebrate that city's 275th anniversary.
Announcing his retirement, Mr Page paid tribute to his party's record in his five decades in local politics.
"Reading Labour have made great strides in key issues, like addressing the climate crisis and building more affordable housing, but the town needs a Labour government more than ever to help us realise our ambitions for the community," he told Labour Abbey Branch.
He welcomed Mr Stevens, who defected from the Conservative Party to Labour in 2022, being selected as his replacement.
"His many previous years' service on Reading Council will mean that he brings considerable experience to the job, and will be able to hit the ground running," he said.
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