2023 Reading Borough Council election

2023 Reading Borough Council election
← 2022 4 May 2023 (2023-05-04) 2024 →
17 out of 48 seats to Reading Borough Council
25 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader Jason Brock Rob White Clarence Mitchell
Party Labour Green Conservative
Last election 32 seats, 47.3% 7 seats, 16.8% 6 seats, 26.3%
Seats before 31 7[a] 6
Seats won 11 3 2
Seats after 32 7 5
Seat change Increase1 Steady Decrease1
  Fourth party Fifth party
  Blank Blank
Leader Meri O'Connell
Party Liberal Democrats Independent
Last election 3 seats, 9.2% 0 seats, 0.2%
Seats before 3 1
Seats won 1 0
Seats after 3 1
Seat change Steady Steady
Winner of each seat at the 2023 Reading Borough Council election
Leader before election

Jason Brock
Labour

Leader after election

Jason Brock
Labour

The 2023 Reading Borough Council election was held on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Reading Borough Council in Berkshire, England.[1] It coincided with local elections across England. There were 17 of the 48 seats on the council up for election, being the usual third of the council plus a by-election in Park ward following the resignation of Green councillor Brenda McGonigle.[2]

Labour retained its majority on the council. Only one seat changed party at this election, being a Labour gain from the Conservatives in Caversham Heights ward. All other seats were unchanged, with the Greens regaining their vacant seat in Park ward.[3][4]

A by-election was held on 3 August 2023 following the death of a Norcot councillor.[5] Labour retained the seat with a marginally increased share of the vote.[6]

Summary

[edit]

Election result

[edit]
2023 Reading Borough Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Labour 11 Increase 1 64.7 21 32 66.7 19,352 47.3 ±0.0
  Green 3 Steady 17.6 4 7 14.6 8,595 21.0 +4.2
  Conservative 2 Decrease 1 11.8 3 5 10.4 8,722 21.3 -5.0
  Liberal Democrats 1 Steady 5.9 2 3 6.3 3,983 9.7 +0.5
  Independent 0 Steady 0.0 1 1 2.1 71 0.2 ±0.0
  TUSC 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 164 0.4 +0.2
  Liberal 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 57 0.1 N/A

Ward results

[edit]

The Statement of Persons Nominated was published on 5 April 2023.[7] Votes were counted overnight and the results posted on the Council's website on 5 May.[8][9]

Abbey

[edit]
Abbey
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mohammed Ayub* 819 52.7 −3.4
Conservative Simon James Bazley 308 19.8 +2.3
Green Howard John Darby 264 17.0 −12.3
Liberal Democrats Steven Adam Gore 163 10.5 −8.5
Majority 511 32.9
Turnout 1,566 23.5
Labour hold Swing

Battle

[edit]
Battle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Amjad Iqbal Tahir Tarar 1,374 65.4 +6.4
Conservative John Tattersall Murray 302 14.4 +0.1
Green Callum Louis Harling 256 12.2 −8.9
Liberal Democrats John Berkeley Grout 170 8.1 −5.2
Majority 1,072 51.0
Turnout 2,115 28.0
Labour Co-op hold Swing

Caversham

[edit]
Caversham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jan Gavin* 1,563 53.6 +4.1
Conservative Saadia Zafar Saadat 569 19.5 −2.0
Green Mark Peter Timothy Palmer 473 16.2 −10.5
Liberal Democrats Christopher Simon Burden 311 10.7 −5.9
Majority 994 34.1
Turnout 2,937 39.1
Labour hold Swing

Caversham Heights

[edit]
Caversham Heights
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Sam Juthani 1,454 41.0 +10.7
Conservative Paul Alan Carnell* 1,324 37.3 +1.7
Green Danny McNamara 500 14.1 −9.9
Liberal Democrats Vania Costa-Krol 270 7.6 −17.3
Majority 130 3.7
Turnout 3,563 47.6
Labour Co-op gain from Conservative Swing

Church

[edit]
Church
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Richard Woodward* 1,268 61.4 +9.7
Conservative James Mwaniki Mugo 448 21.7 −16.0
Green Brent Smith 198 9.6 −7.4
Liberal Democrats Mark Clifford Cole 152 7.4 −5.8
Majority 820 39.7
Turnout 2,083 25.3
Labour hold Swing

Coley

[edit]
Coley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Stephen Gittings* 1,297 57.9 −2.4
Conservative Lizzy Sheppard 462 20.6 −2.4
Green Isobel Claire Hoskins 267 11.9 −12.0
Liberal Democrats Benjamin Francis Sims 213 9.5 −8.7
Majority 835 37.3
Turnout 2,252 32.0
Labour hold Swing

Emmer Green

[edit]
Emmer Green
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephen James Goss 1,233 40.0 −0.7
Labour Matt Buckley 1,133 36.8 −1.9
Green Wendy Jane Rooke 378 12.3 −15.5
Liberal Democrats Pieter Herman M De Boiserie 336 10.9 −11.0
Majority 100 3.2
Turnout 3,095 40.7
Conservative hold Swing

Katesgrove

[edit]
Katesgrove
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Doug Cresswell* 1,048 47.0 +4.6
Labour Co-op Marg Cobb 832 37.3 +3.4
Conservative Ian Binge 213 9.5 −1.5
Liberal Democrats Margaret McNeill 80 3.6 −4.1
TUSC Lily Jayne Challice 58 2.6 N/A
Majority 216 9.7
Turnout 2,257 29.5
Green hold Swing

Kentwood

[edit]
Kentwood
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Raj Singh* 1,171 45.3 +5.4
Labour Mamuna Naz 1,016 39.3 +0.4
Green Caroline Hearst 209 8.1 −4.6
Liberal Democrats Jonathan Peter Barker 187 7.2 −4.1
Majority 155 6.0
Turnout 2,583 38.3
Conservative hold Swing

Norcot

[edit]
Norcot
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Colette Lolita Dennis* 1,202 58.0 +1.2
Conservative Suzanne Rowe 371 17.9 −0.8
Green Richard Peter Walkem 206 9.9 −8.6
Liberal Democrats Christopher Ward 126 6.1 −5.9
Independent Alan John Gulliver 71 3.4 −4.6
Liberal Stephen Anthony Graham 57 2.8 N/A
TUSC Jen Bottom 39 1.9 −3.1
Majority 831 40.1
Turnout 2,082 27.6
Labour hold Swing

Park

[edit]
Park (2 seats due to by-election)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Josh Williams* 1,536 54.7 +5.9
Green Sarah Magon 1,408 50.1 −2.0
Labour Ram Bahadur Galami 1,087 38.7 +3.6
Labour Ollie Williamson 1,070 38.1 +7.3
Conservative Adam Iestyn Phelps 164 5.8 −1.5
Conservative Allison Carnell 160 5.7 −0.8
Liberal Democrats Chris Dodson 86 3.1 −0.8
Liberal Democrats Henry David Wright 57 2.0 N/A
Turnout 2,842 40.5
Green hold Swing
Green hold Swing

The by-election in Park ward was triggered by the resignation of Green councillor Brenda McGonigle in March 2023.[2]

Redlands

[edit]
Redlands
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Will Cross* 1,194 46.4 +5.1
Green Kate Nikulina 1,034 40.2 +0.2
Conservative Abdoulaye Diouma Sow 193 7.5 −2.3
Liberal Democrats Francis David Jakeman 114 4.4 −1.8
TUSC Melanie Samantha Jayne Dent 36 1.4 N/A
Majority 160 6.2
Turnout 2,590 31.3
Labour Co-op hold Swing

Southcote

[edit]
Southcote
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Joseph Ennis* 1,454 60.8 +6.2
Conservative Ben Michael Brereton Blackmore 547 22.9 −0.4
Green Jamie Whitham 223 9.3 −7.1
Liberal Democrats Riccardo Giovanni Mancuso-Marcello 136 5.7 −5.7
TUSC Neil Robert Adams 31 1.3 −2.1
Majority 907 37.9
Turnout 2,413 31.1
Labour hold Swing

Thames

[edit]
Thames
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ama Asare 997 51.5 −1.1
Conservative Shivraj Hawaldar 395 20.4 −3.5
Green Mike Harling 295 15.2 −10.8
Liberal Democrats Jo Ramsay 248 12.8 −2.3
Majority 602 31.1
Turnout 1,948 32.9
Labour hold Swing

Tilehurst

[edit]
Tilehurst
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Anne Thompson* 1,158 50.9 +6.3
Labour Co-op Len Middleton 481 21.1 +4.9
Conservative Casey George Christopher Byrne 479 21.0 −4.0
Green Gabriel Berry-Khan 159 7.0 −3.8
Majority 677 29.8
Turnout 2,282 31.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Whitley

[edit]
Whitley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Alice Mpofu-Coles* 1,111 61.3 +5.0
Conservative Vani Goel 383 21.1 +0.1
Liberal Democrats Sarah Lucy Dobson 176 9.7 −1.5
Green Kathy Smith 141 7.8 −7.8
Majority 728 40.2
Turnout 1,822 23.5
Labour Co-op hold Swing

By-Elections

[edit]

Due to the death of Norcot councillor Colette Dennis in summer 2023, a by-election was held for her seat on Reading Borough Council on the 3rd of August.[10] The by-election was won by Labour, with the Liberal Democrats leapfrogging the Conservatives and the Greens into second place. [11]

Norcot By-Election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Finn McGoldrick 929 58.2 +0.2
Liberal Democrats Marie French 280 17.5 +11.4
Conservative Lizzy Sheppard 209 13.1 −4.8
Green Richard Peter Walkem 101 6.3 −3.6
Independent Alan John Gulliver 47 3.1 −0.4
TUSC Jen Bottom 28 1.8 −0.1
Majority 649 40.6 +0.5
Turnout 1,598 21.1 −6.5
Labour hold Swing

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Including one vacant seat in Park ward previously held by the Greens.
  1. ^ Nóvoa, Carlos; Boyd, Alex; Ault, Richard (6 April 2023). "Interactive map shows where in Berkshire local elections are being held in 2023". GetReading. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b Aldridge, James (30 March 2023). "Reading councillors retiring ahead of local elections 2023". Reading Chronicle. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Reading election result". BBC News Online. 5 May 2023. Archived from the original on 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  4. ^ Aldridge, James (5 May 2023). "Reading Borough Council elections 2023 results in full". Reading Chronicle. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  5. ^ "Norcot ward by-election – August 2023". Reading Borough Council. 14 August 2023. Archived from the original on 1 February 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Labour win by-election in Reading's Norcot ward". Reading Today. 7 August 2023. Archived from the original on 1 February 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Statement of persons nominated and notice of poll – local elections and casual vacancy 2023". Reading Borough Council. 5 April 2023. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  8. ^ "May 2023 election declaration times for councils and mayors - PA". Press Association. 3 May 2023. Archived from the original on 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  9. ^ "Local Election Results 4 May 2023". Reading Borough Council. 5 May 2023. Archived from the original on 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  10. ^ https://www.reading.gov.uk/the-council-and-democracy/elections-and-voting/norcot-ward-by-election/
  11. ^ https://rdg.today/labour-win-by-election-in-readings-norcot-ward/
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2023_Reading_Borough_Council_election&oldid=1239970480"