# 2012 Wokingham Borough Council election

The 2012 Wokingham Borough Council election took place on Thursday 3 May 2012, the same day as other 2012 United Kingdom local elections, to elect members of Wokingham Unitary Council in Berkshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was:
* Conservative 43
* Liberal Democrat 10
* Independent 1

## Background

A total of 74 candidates contested the 18 seats which were up for election. These included 18 Conservative, 18 Liberal Democrat, 14 Labour, 14 Green Party, 8 UK Independence Party and 3 independent candidates.
Issues in the election included:
* Recent changes to waste collections
* Some recent controversial planning applications

## Election result

The Conservatives retained control of the council despite losing 2 seats: 1 to the Liberal Democrats in Winnersh, and Charvil to an Independent. The Liberal Democrats held the 3 seats they defended in Bulmershe and Whitegates, Twyford and Loddon. However their gain in Winnersh was cancelled out a few hours later when Sue Smith resigned from the Liberal Democrats to finish her term as an Independent.
Wokingham Local Election Result 2012 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 13 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 72.2 | 48.4 | 15,345 | -4.0% |
| Liberal Democrats | 4 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 22.2 | 24.1 | 7,643 | -1.5% |
| Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.2 | 3,862 | -1.1% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.5 | 2,378 | +3.2% |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.4 | 1,733 | +1.5% |
| Independent | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 496 | +0.9% |
There were a total of 31,640 votes cast, including 183 spoiled ballots.

## Ward results

Bulmershe & Whitegates :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lesley Hayward | 976 | 37.1 | +3.9 |
| | Conservative | Mohammed Parvaiz | 660 | 25.1 | −11.4 |
| | Labour | Greg Bello | 750 | 28.5 | +7.6 |
| | UKIP | Billy Khan | 137 | 5.2 | −0.4 |
| | Green | Adrian Windisch | 106 | 4.0 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 226 | 8.6 | +5.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2641 | 40 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +3.9 | |
Charvil :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Malcolm Storry | 42 | 4.8 | −23.2 |
| | Conservative | Emma Hobbs | 382 | 43.2 | −22.6 |
| | Green | James O'Callaghan | 44 | 5.0 | +5.0 |
| | Independent | Nick Ray | 414 | 46.8 | 46.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 32 | 3.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 884 | 38 | |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | +46.8 | |
Emmbrook :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ullakarin Clark | 1202 | 55.9 | −0.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Suresh Jeganathan | 291 | 13.5 | −8.8 |
| | UKIP | Steven McMillan | 330 | 15.3 | +7.1 |
| | Labour | Paul Sharples | 313 | 14.6 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 872 | 42.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2151 | 33 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.2 | |
Evendons :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Dianne King | 967 | 50.2 | −5.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Steven Scarrott | 388 | 20.1 | −2.1 |
| | UKIP | Mike Spencer | 278 | 14.4 | +6.2 |
| | Labour | Anthony Skuse | 286 | 14.8 | +1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 579 | 30.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1927 | 28 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -5.9 | |
Finchampstead North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mike Gore | 1038 | 69.9 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roy Neall | 121 | 8.2 | −23.6 |
| | Labour | Tim Jinkerson | 193 | 13.0 | +13.0 |
| | Green | Martyn Foss | 124 | 8.4 | +8.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 845 | 61.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1484 | 34 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.7 | |
Finchampstead South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ian Pittock | 843 | 58.3 | −9.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Roland Cundy | 345 | 23.8 | −2.4 |
| | Green | Matthew Valler | 241 | 16.7 | +16.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 498 | 34.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1447 | 33 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -7.3 | |
Hawkedon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Guy Grandison | 688 | 42.8 | −12.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Vick | 402 | 25.0 | −2.3 |
| | UKIP | Peter Jackson | 142 | 8.8 | +8.8 |
| | Labour | Neville Waites | 278 | 17.3 | +0.2 |
| | Green | John Prior | 97 | 6.0 | +6.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 286 | 17.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1609 | 23 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -12.8 | |
Hillside :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Pauline Jorgensen | 1062 | 50.5 | −7.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Keith Yabsley | 465 | 22.1 | +4.6 |
| | Labour | David Sharp | 317 | 15.1 | −0.7 |
| | Green | Helene Cherry | 241 | 11.4 | +2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 597 | 28.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2105 | 31 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -7.5 | |
Hurst :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Wayne Smith | 562 | 71.2 | −4.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Trott | 83 | 10.5 | −4.2 |
| | Labour | Umesh Ummat | 62 | 7.8 | +2.1 |
| | Green | Paula Montie | 79 | 10 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 224 | 28.5 | −32.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 789 | 36 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -4.2 | |
Loddon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tom McCann | 846 | 41.4 | +6.8 |
| | Conservative | Bill Soane | 751 | 36.7 | −8.8 |
| | Labour | Tom Clark | 303 | 14.8 | +1.5 |
| | Green | Julia Titus | 132 | 6.4 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 95 | 4.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2042 | 30 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +6.8 | |
Maiden Erlegh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ken Miall | 966 | 45.5 | −4.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Hare | 528 | 24.9 | +2.4 |
| | Labour | Jacqueline Rupert | 373 | 17.6 | −0.4 |
| | Green | Nicholas Marshall | 238 | 11.2 | +2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 438 | 20.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2119 | 30 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -4.9 | |
Norreys :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Malcolm Llewellyn Richards | 959 | 48.8 | −4.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Charles Bray | 268 | 13.6 | −1.3 |
| | UKIP | Keith John Knight | 212 | 10.7 | +3.2 |
| | Labour | Mary Gascoyne | 315 | 16.0 | +1.2 |
| | Green | Emma-Louise Hamilton | 120 | 6.1 | N/A |
| | Independent | Robin Smith | 82 | 4.1 | −5.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 644 | 32.7 | −5.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1965 | 29 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -4.6 | |
Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Anthony Sydney Halsall | 937 | 68.5 | −3.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin George Alder | 248 | 18.1 | −2.8 |
| | Labour | Matthew Stephen Dent | 172 | 12.5 | +5.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 689 | 50.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1367 | 31 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.2 | |
Shinfield South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Charlotte Jacqueline Louise Haitham-Taylor | 893 | 58.6 | −3.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Imogen Shepherd-DuBey | 141 | 9.2 | −4.5 |
| | Green | Marjory Diane Bisset | 473 | 31.1 | +6.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 420 | 26.8 | −11.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1567 | 29 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.4 | |
Twyford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lindsay Ferris | 1,011 | 55.2 | +3.5 |
| | Conservative | Sam Hawkins | 527 | 28.8 | −6.5 |
| | Labour | Richard Fort | 159 | 8.6 | +0.4 |
| | Green | James Ewan | 118 | 6.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 484 | 26.4 | +10.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1829 | 40 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +3.5 | |
Wescott :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | Kazek Lokuciewski | 187 | 14.0 | +7.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Leask | 158 | 11.8 | −8.8 |
| | UKIP | Stella Howell | 135 | 10.1 | +4.4 |
| | Labour | John Woodward | 166 | 12.4 | −0.5 |
| | Conservative | Bob Wyatt | 679 | 51.0 | −4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 492 | 36.9 | +3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1331 | 31 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.3 | |
Winnersh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Ashwell | 961 | 38.2 | −4.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rachelle Shepherd-Dubey | 1,183 | 47.0 | +7.0 |
| | UKIP | Tony Pollock | 183 | 7.2 | −1.4 |
| | Labour | John Baker | 175 | 6.9 | −2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 222 | 8.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2513 | 35 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +7.0 | |
Wokingham Without :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Pauline Helliar-Symons | 1,268 | 66.0 | −2.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elaine Spratling | 147 | 7.6 | −4.5 |
| | Green | Thomas Blomley | 178 | 9.2 | +9.2 |
| | UKIP | Graham Widdows | 316 | 16.4 | +8.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 652 | 33.9 | −22.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1920 | 31 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -2.6 | |