# 1976 Reading Borough Council election

The 1976 Reading Borough Council election was held on 6 May 1976, at the same time as other local elections across England and Wales. All 46 seats on Reading Borough Council were up for election. The council remained under no overall control, but with the Conservatives becoming the largest party. The Conservative group leader, Deryck Morton, subsequently took the council's most senior political job as chairman of the policy committee, leading a Conservative minority administration.

## Ward results

The results in each ward were as follows:
Abbey Ward (two seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | William George Mander (Bill Mander) | 383 |
| Conservative | Barclay Lane | 373 |
| Conservative | J. Pearson | 369 |
| Labour | R. Williams | 339 |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Battle Ward (two seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | Reginald Harry Bristow (Joe Bristow) | 894 |
| Labour | Thomas Frank Wise (Frank Wise) | 883 |
| Conservative | M. Irwin | 519 |
| Conservative | J. Harper | 515 |
| Liberal | J. Dickson | 146 |
| Liberal | E. Dickson | 143 |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
Castle Ward (three seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | Robert J. Garnett (Bob Garnett) | 1,028 |
| Labour | Graham Anthony Rush | 962 |
| Labour | Antony William Page (Tony Page) | 947 |
| Conservative | E. Farmer | 801 |
| Conservative | P. Brigham | 792 |
| Conservative | B. Jones | 773 |
| Liberal | C. Milsom | 440 |
| Liberal | R. Harris | 434 |
| Liberal | J. Mennear | 430 |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
Caversham Ward (three seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Conservative | Ronald William Jewitt (Ron Jewitt) | 2,190 |
| Conservative | George Frank Robinson | 1,840 |
| Conservative | Frederick Llywelyn Pugh (Fred Pugh) | 1,812 |
| Labour | T. Clifton | 937 |
| Labour | M. Johnson | 891 |
| Labour | A. Tolan | 862 |
| Independent | A. Freeman | 277 |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
Christchurch Ward (four seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | Marianne Jeanne Absolom | 1,315 |
| Labour | William Maurice John Huntley (John Huntley) | 1,241 |
| Labour | Nigel Webb | 1,185 |
| Conservative | R. Bishop | 1,178 |
| Conservative | R. Cox | 1,172 |
| Labour | H. Young | 1,165 |
| Conservative | C. Cross | 1,147 |
| Conservative | C. Hembrow | 1,092 |
| Liberal | H. Crichton | 547 |
| Liberal | D. O'Rourke | 484 |
| Liberal | N. James | 422 |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing |
Katesgrove Ward (two seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | Geoffrey Robert Mander (Geoff Mander) | 848 |
| Labour | Margaret Stella Singh | 765 |
| Conservative | N. Rowberry | 724 |
| Conservative | J. Wilkins | 655 |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
Minster Ward (six seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Conservative | Adelina Ethel Baker (Lena Baker) | 2,538 |
| Conservative | Simon Christopher Coombs | 2,516 |
| Conservative | Geoffrey Gascoigne Lawrence | 2,500 |
| Conservative | Charles Frederick Sage | 2,451 |
| Conservative | Joyce A. Talbot | 2,427 |
| Conservative | Kenneth Loder (Ken Loder) | 2,422 |
| Labour | C. Bosley | 1,828 |
| Labour | D. Buckley | 1,800 |
| Labour | A. Knott | 1,750 |
| Labour | K. Davison | 1,742 |
| Labour | K. Diment | 1,736 |
| Labour | F. Silverthorne | 1,699 |
| Liberal | M. Clarke | 688 |
| Liberal | C. Bucke | 659 |
| Liberal | H. Goodacre | 635 |
| Liberal | D. Holmes | 615 |
| Liberal | P. Pratt | 614 |
| Liberal | D. Hobbs | 600 |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
Norcot Ward (six seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Liberal | Leslie Basil Dunning (Basil Dunning) | 1,711 |
| Liberal | Terence James Francis (Terry Francis) | 1,687 |
| Liberal | John Freeman | 1,657 |
| Liberal | Geoffrey David Salisbury | 1,633 |
| Liberal | Peter Beard | 1,626 |
| Liberal | Dennis Hopkins | 1,594 |
| Conservative | P. Madges | 1,519 |
| Conservative | J. Pacey | 1,504 |
| Conservative | F. Rogers | 1,475 |
| Conservative | R. Hinckley | 1,467 |
| Conservative | G. Waite | 1,458 |
| Conservative | F. Rose | 1,391 |
| Labour | W. Gothard | 1,072 |
| Labour | F. Harris | 1,059 |
| Labour | H. Hathaway | 1,033 |
| Labour | H. Hinder | 981 |
| Labour | R. Smith | 959 |
| Labour | A. Pravda | 934 |
| Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing |
| Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing |
| Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing |
| Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing |
| Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing |
| Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing |
Park Ward (three seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Conservative | Douglas Alan Chilvers | 1,333 |
| Conservative | Veronica Horman | 1,255 |
| Conservative | Michael Francis | 1,251 |
| Labour | P. Jones | 943 |
| Labour | S. Harvey | 904 |
| Labour | B. Lyons | 889 |
| Liberal | N. Edwards | 697 |
| Liberal | M. Bliss | 633 |
| Liberal | A. Looker | 606 |
| Independent | V. Short | 51 |
| Independent | K. Pullen | 45 |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
Redlands Ward (three seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Conservative | John Michael Oliver | 1,316 |
| Conservative | John Derrick Lawford | 1,277 |
| Conservative | Martin Charles Lower | 1,249 |
| Liberal | V. Angell | 1,151 |
| Liberal | R. Brough | 1,055 |
| Liberal | S. Milano | 999 |
| Labour | P. Jones | 455 |
| Labour | V. Jones | 406 |
| Labour | G. Kennedy | 406 |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing |
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing |
Thames Ward (four seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Conservative | Cyril William Aucock | 2,906 |
| Conservative | Kathleen Lucy Sage | 2,900 |
| Conservative | Eric Gordon Davies | 2,884 |
| Conservative | Deryck Mitchell Morton | 2,701 |
| Liberal | K. Gwinnell | 951 |
| Liberal | J. Green | 933 |
| Liberal | K. Elliott | 838 |
| Labour | P. Mander | 686 |
| Labour | K. Sainsbury | 633 |
| Labour | G. Lidbetter | 599 |
| Labour | R. Hammersley | 569 |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
| Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |
Tilehurst Ward (five seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Liberal | Ronald James Day (Jim Day) | 2,475 |
| Liberal | Frances Teresa Day (Paddy Day) | 2,367 |
| Liberal | Desmond A. Allen (Des Allen) | 2,194 |
| Liberal | George Henry Ford | 2,175 |
| Liberal | Michael Ingrey | 2,122 |
| Conservative | A. Davis | 1,441 |
| Conservative | M. Caseley | 1,423 |
| Conservative | S. Foley | 1,323 |
| Conservative | J. Stevens | 1,315 |
| Conservative | I. Grant | 1,304 |
| Labour | J. Cottee | 821 |
| Labour | D. Bull | 777 |
| Labour | A. Gothard | 777 |
| Labour | L. Hinder | 772 |
| Labour | M. Steele | 748 |
| Independent | M. White | 60 |
| Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing |
| Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing |
| Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing |
| Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing |
| Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing |
Whitley Ward (three seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Labour | Michael Edward Orton (Mike Orton) | 1,187 |
| Labour | John Rees Price (Jack Price) | 1,186 |
| Labour | Doris Ellen Lawrence | 1,185 |
| Conservative | G. Matthews | 797 |
| Conservative | P. Wickens | 623 |
| Conservative | R. Woodroff | 536 |
| Liberal | B. Trussell | 275 |
| Liberal | M. Law | 234 |
| Liberal | H. Trussell | 231 |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |

## By-elections 1976–1979
### Christchurch by-election 1977

Christchurch By-Election 31 March 1977 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert Douglas (Bob) Cox | 1,061 | 39.0 | −2.9 |
| | Labour | Maurice Dixon | 1,023 | 37.6 | −7.2 |
| | Liberal | Max Thomas Heydeman | 637 | 23.4 | +10.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 38 | 1.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,721 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +2.15 | |
The Christchurch ward by-election in 1977 was triggered by the resignation of Labour councillor John Huntley.

### Thames by-election April 1977

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). 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.
Thames By-Election 21 April 1977 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Brian Fowles | 2,619 | 75.3 | |
| | Liberal | Katherine Gwinnell | 485 | 13.9 | |
| | Labour | Pat Mander | 373 | 10.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,134 | 61.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,477 | 33 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |

### Thames by-election September 1977

Thames By-Election 22 September 1977 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Stevens | 2,121 | 74.1 | −1.2 |
| | Liberal | Katherine Gwinnell | 387 | 13.5 | −0.4 |
| | Labour | Helen Kayes | 354 | 12.4 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,734 | 60.6 | −0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,862 | 30 | −3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.4 | |
The September 1977 by-election was triggered by the death of Conservative councillor Cyril Aucock.

### Minster by-election 1977

Minster By-Election 1 December 1977 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Roseanna Rowberry | 1,911 | 57.1 |
| | Labour | Bunty Nash | 1,143 | 34.1 |
| | Liberal | Janet Holmes | 293 | 8.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 768 | 22.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,347 | 29 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
The Minster ward by-election in 1977 was triggered by the resignation of Conservative councillor Joyce Talbot.