Lib Dems announce candidates for Thatcham by-elections

The Liberal Democrats have selected and announced their two candidates to fight the by-elections to be held on April 24 in Thatcham North East.

The by-elections will be to elect a new councillor at Thatcham Town Council and at West Berkshire Council as a result of MP Lee Dillon stepping down from both councils to focus on being an MP.

The district council candidate is Tom McCann, who served in the RAF and moved to Woodley in 1981. He trained as a roof tiler and has worked within the construction industry for more than 30 years.

Mr McCann has served as a town, district, and unitary councillor on and off over 30 years in Woodley and on Wokingham Borough Council.

From 2009-2022, he has been involved in two asthma charities as a trustee and as chairman of trusts both in England and Scotland.

He moved to Thatcham in 2021 and won a seat on Thatcham Town Council in 2023.

He is currently the leader of Thatcham Town Council.

The town council candidate is Mark Thomas, who qualified as a civil and structural engineer and worked for 12 years at Hampshire County Council.

He has lived in Thatcham for 40 years and retired in 2019 since when he has volunteered for several charities including the Old Bluecoat School Charity, West Berks Foodbank and West Berkshire Museum.

He is also a trustee for the Mable Luke Almshouse charity in Newbury.