Reading Borough Council elections
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Reading Borough Council is the council for the unitary authority of Reading in Berkshire, England. Until 1 April 1998 it was a non-metropolitan district. Since the last boundary changes in 2022 the council has comprised 48 councillors representing 16 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) being elected each time for a four-year term.[1]
Council elections
[edit]| Year | Conservative | Labour | Liberal Democrats[a] | Green[b] | Independents & Others |
Council control after election | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local government reorganisation; council established (46 seats) | ||||||||
| 1973 | 16 | 16 | 14 | – | 0 | No overall control | ||
| 1976 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 0 | No overall control | ||
| 1979[3][4] | 22 | 16 | 11 | 0 | 0 | No overall control | ||
| New ward boundaries (45 seats)[5] | ||||||||
| 1983 | 26 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 | Conservative | ||
| 1984 | 23 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Conservative | ||
| 1986 | 18 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 0 | No overall control | ||
| 1987 | 16 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 1988 | 15 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 1990 | 13 | 27 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 1991 | 12 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 1992 | 11 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 1 | Labour | ||
| 1994 | 12 | 28 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 1995 | 8 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 1996 | 4 | 35 | 6 | 0 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 1998 | 3 | 36 | 6 | 0 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 1999 | 3 | 36 | 6 | 0 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 2000 | 3 | 36 | 6 | 0 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 2001 | 3 | 36 | 6 | 0 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 2002 | 3 | 36 | 6 | 0 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 2003 | 4 | 35 | 6 | 0 | 0 | Labour | ||
| New ward boundaries (46 seats)[6] | ||||||||
| 2004 | 6 | 35 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 2006 | 8 | 32 | 6 | 0 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 2007 | 13 | 25 | 8 | 0 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 2008 | 18 | 20 | 8 | 0 | 0 | No overall control | ||
| 2010 | 17 | 19 | 9 | 1 | 0 | No overall control | ||
| 2011 | 16 | 22 | 5 | 2 | 1 | No overall control | ||
| 2012 | 12 | 26 | 4 | 3 | 1 | Labour | ||
| 2014 | 10 | 31 | 2 | 3 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 2015 | 10 | 31 | 2 | 3 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 2016 | 10 | 31 | 2 | 3 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 2018 | 12 | 30 | 1 | 3 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 2019 | 10 | 30 | 2 | 4 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 2021 | 10 | 29 | 2 | 5 | 0 | Labour | ||
| New ward boundaries (48 seats)[7] | ||||||||
| 2022 | 6 | 32 | 3 | 7 | 0 | Labour | ||
| 2023 | 6 | 32 | 3 | 7 | 1 | Labour | ||
| 2024 | 4 | 32 | 3 | 8 | 1 | Labour | ||
Borough result maps
[edit]-
2004 results map -
2006 results map -
2007 results map -
2008 results map -
2010 results map -
2011 results map -
2012 results map -
2014 results map
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2015 results map
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2016 results map
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2018 results map -
2019 results map -
2021 results map -
2022 results map -
2023 results map -
2024 results map
By-election results
[edit]By-elections are listed on the pages of the last council-wide election prior to the by-election, with the exception of the 1977 by-election below which was due to a boundary change and increase in number of councillors rather than needing to fill a vacancy on the council.
| By-election | Date | Incumbent party | Winning party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitley | 11 December 1975 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Christchurch | 31 March 1977 | Labour | Conservative | ||
| Thames | 21 April 1977 | Conservative | Conservative | ||
| Thames | 22 September 1977 | Conservative | Conservative | ||
| Minster | 1 December 1977 | Conservative | Conservative | ||
| Thames | 24 January 1980 | Conservative | Conservative | ||
| Christchurch | 7 May 1981 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Redlands | Conservative | Conservative | |||
| Abbey | 24 September 1981 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Church | 6 December 1984 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Battle | 25 July 1985 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Peppard | 11 September 1986 | Conservative | Liberal | ||
| Katesgrove | 14 July 1988 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Battle | 17 November 1988 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Abbey | 4 May 1989 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Park | 6 May 1993 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Battle | 5 May 1994 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Kentwood | 28 July 1994 | Liberal Democrats | Labour | ||
| Redlands | 4 May 1995 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Redlands | 2 May 1996 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Abbey | 6 May 1999 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Church | 15 June 2000 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Redlands | 2 May 2002 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Southcote | 4 May 2006 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Thames | Conservative | Conservative | |||
| Tilehurst | 16 November 2006 | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats | ||
| Church | 3 May 2007 | Labour | Conservative | ||
| Southcote | Labour | Labour | |||
| Park | 22 May 2014 | Green | Green | ||
| Southcote | 24 July 2014 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Southcote | 21 July 2016 | Labour | Labour | ||
| Kentwood | 12 December 2019 | Conservative | Conservative | ||
| Norcot | 3 August 2023 | Labour | Labour | ||
Thames by-election April 1977
[edit]On 1 April 1977 the borough was enlarged by the addition of parts of the parishes of Eye and Dunsden, Kidmore End and Mapledurham, all from South Oxfordshire. The number of councillors on Reading Borough Council was increased from 46 to 49 as a result. The two South Oxfordshire district councillors representing much of the transferred area automatically became Reading borough councillors without needing to be re-elected, representing a new ward of Caversham Park. These two were Geoff Lowe and Harold Stoddart, both Liberals (although Lowe later defected to the Conservatives in 1978).[8] Reading's existing Thames and Caversham wards were also enlarged, and the increase in the size of Thames ward justified a fifth councillor being elected for that ward, for which a by-election was held on 21 April 1977, which was won by the Conservatives. After the by-election and two transfers, the balance of the council was 23 Conservatives, 13 Labour and 13 Liberals.[3][9][10]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Brian Fowles | 2,619 | 75.3 | ||
| Liberal | Katherine Gwinnell | 485 | 13.9 | ||
| Labour | Pat Mander | 373 | 10.7 | ||
| Majority | 2,134 | 61.4 | |||
| Turnout | 3,477 | 33 | |||
| Conservative win (new seat) | |||||
Notes
[edit]- ^ Includes totals for the predecessors of the Liberal Democrats, the Liberal Party and SDP (both of which participated in the Alliance).
- ^ Includes totals for the predecessors of the Green Party of England and Wales, the Ecology Party and Green Party UK.
References
[edit]- ^ "The Reading (Electoral Changes) Order 2021", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2021/108, retrieved 28 June 2023
- ^ "Composition calculator". Colin Rallings & Michael Thrasher. The Elections Centre, Plymouth University. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
- ^ a b legislation.gov.uk - The Berkshire and Oxfordshire (Areas) Order 1977. Retrieved on 18 November 2015.
- ^ The Berkshire and Oxfordshire (Areas) (Amendment) Order 1977
- ^ The Borough of Reading (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1979
- ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Reading (Electoral Changes) Order 2002. Retrieved on 4 October 2015.
- ^ legislation.gov.uk - The Borough of Reading (Electoral Changes) Order 2021.
- ^ "Tories welcome new council convert". Evening Post. Reading. 4 May 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ "Reading prepared for its 8,000 'migrants'". Evening Post. Reading. 23 March 1977. p. 4. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ "Tory wins in Thames ward". Evening Post. Reading. 22 April 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
External links
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