Speaking from Labour Party Conference in Brighton, Reading West MP Martin Salter praised a fighting speech by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the last Conference speech he will make before next yer’s General Election. Gordon Brown set out the challenges facing both the country and the Government in an hour long tour de force which confounded many of his critics and media pundits, and showed that the Prime Minister is clearly up for the fight against David Cameron and the Conservatives.

Martin Salter, Labour MP for Reading West, and the politician who brought the Rock Festival back to Reading in 1986 has been granted a meeting on Friday with Festival Republic boss Melvin Benn and local police inspectors following what he described as “disgraceful and downright dangerous” behaviour of a minority of festival goers on the final Sunday evening.

Last Friday saw the launch of the new All Party Parliamentary Group on the Thames which grew out of the MPs successful campaign against the lock-house closures last year. Despite the fact that the launch involved a very pleasant cruise on a beautiful 90 year old Thames steamer provided by French Brothers from Runneymede to Windsor it was still a devil of a job persuading my fellow MPs to leave the bosom of their constituencies, even for a few hours. In the end we had a respectable turnout from amongst the 25 MPs who have agreed to join the group. It was particularly nice for me to meet up with my Reading West predecessor Sir Anthony Durant who has done such sterling work in his role as President of the River Thames Society. We may come from different sides of the political divide but we share a common love of rivers ad the wider Thames Valley.

MPs from right across the political spectrum and the length and breadth of the Thames Valley have agreed to put their political differences to one side, even in an election year, and work together in a new cross-party Parliamentary group on the Thames which will be launched this week in Windsor. The idea for the group came from the River Thames Society following last year’s successful campaign to persuade the Environment Agency to drop its plans to sell off many of the lock-keeper’s homes along the river. The new group intends to meet in Parliament three times a year to “highlight and promote the economic, cultural, recreational and environmental value of the River Thames”.

There will be no by-election in Reading West following the safe landing of local MP Martin Salter who successfully completed his first ever parachute jump at Old Sarum Airfield in Wiltshire on Sunday. Mr Salter, who has raised nearly £1000 in sponsorship for the Alzheimer’s Society, jumped from 10,000 ft accompanied by Gordon Blamire of SKYDIVE SOUTHCOAST in a free fall of 120 mph lasting 45 seconds. The parachute opened at 5,000 ft for the final 4 minute descent.

On 20th September, Reading West MP Martin Salter will be taking part in a “Tandem Skydive” from an aircraft flying at 10,000 feet above Salisbury Plain to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society.

Reading West MP, Martin Salter, today joined staff and volunteers from Macmillan Cancer Support at the Berkshire launch of this year’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning to raise money to help support thousands of people who have been affected by cancer. The event took place at the Elephant Hotel in Pangbourne and was attended by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire and local organisers of coffee mornings and other events which will be taking place on Friday 25th September.

Martin Salter, Labour MP for Reading West, and the politician who brought the Rock Festival back to Reading in 1986 has damned as “disgraceful and downright dangerous” the behaviour of hundreds of festival goers on the final Sunday evening for turning an otherwise peaceful 2009 Reading Festival into a fearful fire hazard. Mr Salter has been contacted by festival fans who stayed up all night in the camp site guarding their tents and possessions against drunken mobs who were looking for anything to throw on their bonfires to keep them burning. ‘Rule of the mob’ was one person’s description, and scenes which have been recorded and broadcast on Youtube have, in Mr Salter’s opinion, called into question the crowd’s safety and security measures employed by the organisers - Festival Republic.

Reading West MP Martin Salter has today written to Reading Borough Councils Head of Planning pressing for the public to be given more time to comment on the controversial application from Thames Water to build on the Bath Road Reservoir site in his constituency. Mr Salter has also taken issue with Thames Water’s claim to have listened and responded positively to local resident’s views.