# Reading North (UK Parliament constituency)

Reading North was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. The constituency covered an area in and around the town of Reading in the county of Berkshire.

## History

The Reading North parliamentary constituency was first created for the 1950 general election by splitting the previous parliamentary constituency of Reading into North and South divisions. These constituencies were merged back into a single Reading constituency for the 1955 general election.
The Reading North constituency was recreated in 1974, when it was won for the Conservative Party by Tony Durant. In 1983 the constituencies in Reading were reorganised, creating the new constituencies of Reading East and Reading West. Tony Durant went on to hold the Reading West constituency until 1997.
In both its incarnations, the constituency included Reading town centre.

## Boundaries
### 1950–1955

The County Borough of Reading wards of Abbey, Battle, Castle, Caversham East, Caversham West, Tilehurst, and Victoria.
It was then abolished and absorbed into the re-established constituency of Reading, with the exception of the Tilehurst ward, which was transferred to Newbury.

### 1974–1983

The County Borough of Reading wards of Abbey, Battle, Castle, Caversham, Katesgrove, Minster, Norcot, Thames, and Tilehurst.
The Tilehurst and Norcot wards were transferred back from Newbury; the remaining wards were previously part of the abolished constituency of Reading.
The constituency was abolished again for the 1983 general election, with the majority forming the basis of the new county constituency of Reading West, whilst northern areas, including Caversham, formed part of the new county constituency of Reading East.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1950–1955

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1950 | Ronald Mackay | Labour |
| 1951 | Frederic Bennett | Conservative |
| 1955 | constituency abolished: see Reading | constituency abolished: see Reading |

### MPs 1974–1983

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | Feb 1974 | Tony Durant | Conservative |
| | 1983 | constituency abolished: see Reading East & Reading West | constituency abolished: see Reading East & Reading West |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Reading North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kim Mackay | 15,681 | 46.02 | |
| | Conservative | Sir John Stanley Vincent Marling, 4th Baronet | 15,154 | 44.48 | |
| | Liberal | J Michael Derrick | 3,238 | 9.50 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 527 | 1.54 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,073 | 86.79 | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
General election 1951: Reading North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frederic Bennett | 17,378 | 50.44 | |
| | Labour | Kim Mackay | 17,076 | 49.56 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 302 | 0.88 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,454 | 86.83 | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election February 1974: Reading North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tony Durant | 19,984 | 39.39 | |
| | Labour | M. J. Denby | 17,615 | 34.72 | |
| | Liberal | J. Burnett | 13,137 | 25.89 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,369 | 4.67 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 63,943 | 79.35 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
General election October 1974: Reading North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tony Durant | 18,734 | 40.2 | +0.8 |
| | Labour | M. J. Denby | 18,266 | 39.15 | |
| | Liberal | K. Watts | 9,064 | 19.43 | |
| | National Front | P. Baker | 594 | 1.27 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 468 | 1.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 64,484 | 72.36 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election 1979: Reading North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tony Durant | 25,085 | 50.58 | |
| | Labour | D. M. Mason | 17,662 | 35.61 | |
| | Liberal | P. Minton | 6,170 | 12.44 | |
| | National Front | P. Baker | 554 | 1.12 | |
| | Independent | L. W. Edwards | 126 | 0.25 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,423 | 14.97 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 65,369 | 75.87 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |