# 2019 Reading Borough Council election

The 2019 Reading Borough Council election took place on 2 May 2019 to elect members in 15 wards of Reading Borough Council. There was also a casual vacancy in Thames ward. The Labour Party held control of the council.
The Liberal Democrats and the Green Party succeeded in making significant increases in their vote across the borough, the Liberal Democrats gaining Tilehurst from the Conservatives and the Green Party gaining Redlands Ward from The Labour Party. The only gain for either of the two major parties was in Caversham where Labour gained a seat from the Conservatives. The election was held on the same day as other local elections.

## Election result

2019 Reading Borough Council election :
| Party | Party | This election | This election | This election | Full council | Full council | Full council | This election | This election | This election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| | Labour | 9 | | 56.2 | 21 | 30 | 65.2 | 15,496 | 39.4 | –8.9 |
| | Conservative | 4 | 2 | 25.0 | 6 | 10 | 21.7 | 10,148 | 25.8 | –4.1 |
| | Green | 2 | 1 | 12.5 | 2 | 4 | 8.7 | 7,537 | 19.1 | +8.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 1 | 1 | 6.3 | 1 | 2 | 4.3 | 5,785 | 14.7 | +4.3 |
| | UKIP | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 175 | 0.4 | ±0.0 |
| | Independent | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 138 | 0.4 | +0.2 |
| | Liberal | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 45 | 0.1 | New |

## Composition

After the election the composition of the council was:
| 30 | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| Lab | Con | G | LD |

## Ward results
### Abbey

Abbey :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mohammed Ayub | 1,179 | 48.7 | −11.4 |
| | Green | Howard John Darby | 461 | 19.0 | +8.6 |
| | Conservative | Alison Stevens | 426 | 17.6 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Burden | 323 | 13.3 | +3.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 718 | 29.6 | −10.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,420 | 26.04 | −1.09 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -10.0 | |

### Battle

Battle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Chris Maskell | 1,100 | 55.0 | −10.9 |
| | Green | Fiona Cox | 343 | 17.1 | +8.0 |
| | Conservative | Michael Hey | 329 | 16.4 | −2.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Grout | 227 | 11.3 | +5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 757 | 37.8 | −9.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,999 | 26.4 | −2.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -9.45 | |

### Caversham

Caversham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Ayo Sokale | 1,168 | 44.1 | −9.3 |
| | Conservative | Ella Barrett | 625 | 23.6 | −5.1 |
| | Green | David Foster | 448 | 17.0 | +9.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Hillary Smart | 408 | 15.4 | +5.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,649 | 37.0 | −1.62 |
| | Labour Co-op gain from Conservative | Labour Co-op gain from Conservative | Swing | - 4.2 | |

### Church

Church :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul Woodward | 832 | 47.2 | −7.7 |
| | Conservative | Shekhar Natarjan | 418 | 23.7 | −5.9 |
| | Green | Kathryn McCann | 265 | 15.0 | +3.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Francis Jakeman | 225 | 12.7 | +4.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,761 | 27.3 | −3.4 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -1.8 | |

### Katesgrove

Katesgrove :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Liam Challenger | 1,084 | 56.4 | −10.4 |
| | Green | Louise Keane | 326 | 16.9 | +1.6 |
| | Conservative | Natalie Greenstreet | 282 | 14.6 | −1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Kinsley | 204 | 10.6 | +1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1921 | 28.88 | −1.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.0 | |

### Kentwood

Kentwood :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Raj Singh | 1,138 | 41.6 | −2.0 |
| | Labour Co-op | Glenn Dennis | 1,038 | 38.0 | −3.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gary Coster | 265 | 9.7 | +0.2 |
| | Green | Richard Walkem | 261 | 9.5 | +0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,730 | 38.01 | −0.13 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.2 | |

### Minster

Minster :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul Gittings | 1,085 | 44.9 | −5.1 |
| | Conservative | Nick Fudge | 764 | 31.6 | −1.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Moore | 296 | 12.2 | −0.5 |
| | Green | Willem Londeman | 244 | 10.1 | +6.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 321 | 13.3 | −4.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,412 | 34.03 | −4.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.0 | |

### Norcot

Norcot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Graeme Hoskin | 1,156 | 54.3 | −4.7 |
| | Conservative | Zack Okeyo | 472 | 22.1 | −3.7 |
| | Green | Jill Wigmore-Welsh | 231 | 10.8 | +5.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stew Elliott | 163 | 7.6 | +3.4 |
| | Independent | Alan Gulliver | 138 | 6.4 | +3.9 |
| | Liberal | Stephen Graham | 45 | 2.1 | +1.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 684 | 32.1 | N/C |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,127 | 28.3 | −3.8 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.5 | |

### Park

Park :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | Josh Williams | 1,815 | 54.5 | +2.3 |
| | Labour Co-op | Amjad Iqbal Tahir Tarar | 1,235 | 37.0 | −0.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Dodson | 84 | 2.5 | +0.2 |
| | Conservative | Adam Phelps | 82 | 2.4 | −4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 580 | 17.4 | +3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,329 | 48.8 | +2.6 |
| | Green hold | Green hold | Swing | +0.75 | |

### Peppard

Peppard :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Clare Grashoff | 1,330 | 48.4 | −2.0 |
| | Labour | Oliver White | 599 | 21.8 | −3.8 |
| | Green | Doug Cresswell | 408 | 14.8 | +8.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon Smart | 376 | 13.6 | −0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 731 | 26.6 | +1.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,746 | 37.1 | −1.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.8 | |

### Redlands

Redlands :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | Jamie Whitham | 1,002 | 46.3 | +17.3 |
| | Labour Co-op | Mo McSevney | 782 | 36.1 | −8.4 |
| | Conservative | Beth Vincent | 230 | 10.6 | −6.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Graham Alexander | 131 | 6.0 | −3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 220 | 10.2 | +25.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,163 | 40.5 | +4.8 |
| | Green gain from Labour Co-op | Green gain from Labour Co-op | Swing | +12.8 | |

### Southcote

Southcote :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jason Brock | 1,074 | 52.2 | −5.4 |
| | Conservative | Dipika Upadhyay | 531 | 25.8 | −4.8 |
| | Green | Amanda Walsh | 234 | 11.3 | +5.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marie French | 189 | 9.2 | +3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 543 | 26.4 | −0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,055 | 31.3 | −2.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -0.6 | |

### Thames

Thames :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jeanette Skeats | 1,244 | 36.5 | −7.9 |
| | Conservative | Paul Carnell | 1,153 | 33.8 | −10.6 |
| | Labour | Boubacar Dembele | 822 | 24.1 | −10.1 |
| | Labour | Benjamin Perry | 796 | 23.3 | −10.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jo Ramsay | 746 | 22.0 | +9.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Guy William Penman | 700 | 20.5 | +8.3 |
| | Green | Sarah McNamara | 684 | 20.1 | +11.4 |
| | Green | Sally Anne Newman | 458 | 13.4 | +4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 422 | 12.4 | +2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 357 | 8.8 | −1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,402 | 46.7 | +0.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.2 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.3 | |

### Tilehurst

Tilehurst :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ricky Duveen | 1,264 | 47.0 | +12.8 |
| | Conservative | Sandra Vickers | 745 | 27.7 | −13.5 |
| | Labour | Ali Foster | 367 | 13.6 | −6.9 |
| | UKIP | William MacPhee | 175 | 6.5 | +6.5 |
| | Green | Deborah Wilson | 122 | 4.5 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 519 | 19.3 | +13.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,684 | 37.6 | +1.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +13.2 | |

### Whitley

Whitley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Micky Leng | 1,179 | 59.0 | −4.8 |
| | Conservative | Robert Vickers | 379 | 18.9 | −4.9 |
| | Green | Lucy Mortlock | 235 | 11.7 | +7.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Illenden | 174 | 8.7 | +3.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 800 | 40.0 | N/C |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,996 | 22.6 | −2.7 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +0.1 | |

## By-elections between 2019 and 2021

Kentwood by-election 12 December 2019 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jenny Rynn | 2,181 | 45.2 | +3.1 |
| | Labour | Glenn Dennis | 1,789 | 37.1 | −1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gary Coster | 556 | 11.5 | +1.7 |
| | Green | Richard Walker | 302 | 6.3 | −3.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 392 | 8.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,828 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |