READING Labour Party last week became probably the first in the country to agree a mutual local government stand-down deal with the Liberal Democrats.
Under the new deal, Reading Labour Party will not select candidates for two wards in next year's Berkshire county council elections, giving the Lib-Dems a clear run against the Conservatives.
The authority is currently run by a Labour/Liberal Democrat/Independent coalition after the Tories lost control following a by-election defeat last May.
In return, a discussion document marked 'confidential' notes: 'Major concessions have been secured from the Liberal Democrats in Bracknell, where local knowledge suggests that their withdrawal from certain seats wil! increase the chances of a Labour victory:
The position was carried around 60-2 at the constituency's general committee last week, with most of the so-called 'left' abstaining.