Tonite's the Night...

One way or another the matter of our local Council Tax must be settled this evening, so if you are attending you may want to bring some refreshments (pizza and cakes?) to sustain you through what insiders are already predicting will be another marathon session.

This time round negotiations have begun early, with Redlands councillor Kirsten Bayes setting out the stall of the Liberal Democrats. She explains what is required for a budget to be lawful.

Meanwhile, Reading Labour party has retrospectively added this press release to launch a partisan attack on the tories.

Council Leader Jo Lovelock says of her opposite number that Cllr Cumpsty is "all spin and no substance" (and is apparantly able to do so without any trace of irony). She also makes the outlandish categorical claim that the Tories proposed Council Tax freeze couldn't be made without painful cuts, yet fails to mention the £2.7m she cites is a figure of required savings - who's being "cruelly dishonest" here?

The only thing Reading List predicts will be in the air is a distinct whiff of acrimony - Mick is prepared.

Kick-off is 6.30pm in the Council Chamber at the Civic Centre.

Update: REP's Linda Fort gets in on the action. Remarkably there is no questioning of the Conservative's bland assertions - surely setting a budget is as much about saying what you will spend the money on as is it is about how much you will spend and where it will come from.

Cllr Glenn Goodall has questioned the impartiality of the local press in their reporting of these vital discussions.