# Reading South (UK Parliament constituency)

Reading South 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 South 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 in for the 1955 general election.
The Reading South constituency was recreated in 1974, when the majority comprised areas outside the County Borough. In 1983 the constituencies in Reading were reorganised, creating the new constituencies of Reading East and Reading West.

## Boundaries
### 1950–1955

The County Borough of Reading wards of Church, East, Katesgrove, Minster, Redlands, and West.
It was then abolished and absorbed into the re-established constituency of Reading, with the exception of the East ward, which was transferred to Wokingham.

### 1974–1983

* The County Borough of Reading wards of Christchurch, Park, Redlands, and Whitley; and
* The Rural District of Wokingham parishes of Arborfield and Newland, Barkham, Earley, Finchampstead, Shinfield, Sonning, Swallowfield, Winnersh, and Woodley and Sandford.
The Park ward of the County Borough of Reading was transferred from Wokingham, along with western parts of the Rural District thereof. The remaining wards of the County Borough 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 East. The north-western areas transferred back to Wokingham.

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

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1950 | Ian Mikardo | Labour |
| | 1955 | constituency abolished – see Reading | constituency abolished – see Reading |

### MPs 1974–1983

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | Feb 1974 | Gerard Vaughan | Conservative |
| | 1983 | constituency abolished – see Reading East and Reading West | constituency abolished – see Reading East and Reading West |

## Election results
### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Reading South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gerard Vaughan | 30,067 | 53.85 | +11.32 |
| | Labour | Bernard Gale | 14,422 | 25.83 | −2.01 |
| | Liberal | Keith Ernest Vincent Watts | 10,642 | 19.06 | −10.56 |
| | Ecology | Peter George Chaloner Dunn | 700 | 1.25 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,645 | 28.02 | +15.11 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,831 | 76.48 | +1.77 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +6.67 | |
General election October 1974: Reading South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gerard Vaughan | 21,959 | 42.53 | −0.26 |
| | Liberal | Paul Richard Burall | 15,293 | 29.62 | −3.51 |
| | Labour | Lawrence Silverman | 14,375 | 27.84 | +3.76 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,666 | 12.91 | +3.25 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,627 | 74.71 | −6.23 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +1.63 | |
General election February 1974: Reading South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gerard Vaughan | 23,735 | 42.79 | |
| | Liberal | Paul Richard Burall | 18,376 | 33.13 | New |
| | Labour | Gerd Hugo Kaufman | 13,358 | 24.08 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,349 | 9.66 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,469 | 80.94 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1951: Reading South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian Mikardo | 18,570 | 51.40 | +2.73 |
| | Conservative | Harold Pryce | 17,561 | 48.60 | +6.13 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,009 | 2.80 | −3.40 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,131 | 86.86 | −1.41 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
General election 1950: Reading South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian Mikardo | 17,704 | 48.67 | |
| | Conservative | DC Rissik | 15,450 | 42.47 | |
| | Liberal | Gerald Laurence Opperman | 3,225 | 8.87 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,254 | 6.20 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,379 | 88.07 | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |

## Politics and history of the constituency

The Reading South parliamentary constituency was first created for the 1950 general election by splitting the previous parliamentary constituency of Reading into North and South divisions. The seat was contested and won for the Labour Party by Ian Mikardo, the sitting MP for the Reading constituency, who held the seat until it was merged back into a single Reading constituency for the 1955 general election.
The Reading South constituency was recreated in 1974, when it was contested and won for the Conservative Party by Gerard Vaughan, the sitting MP for the Reading constituency. For the 1983 general election the constituencies in Reading were reorganised, creating the new constituencies of Reading East and Reading West. Gerard Vaughan went on to hold the Reading East constituency until he stood down at the 1997 general election.