# 2014 Reading Borough Council election

Elections to Reading Borough Council took place on 22 May 2014, with 15 council seats up for election. The Labour Party repeated their wins of 2012 gaining Church, Katesgrove, Redlands, Kentwood and Caversham wards, giving them a total of 31 Councillors. The Conservative Party lost three seats but gained Peppard ward from an independent. The Liberal Democrats lost two seats but held Tilehurst ward. The Green Party held Park ward including a by-election caused by the resignation of one of their Councillors. UKIP stood a record number of candidates at the election but failed to gain any council seats.
The elections were held on the same day as the 2014 European Elections.
After the election, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Seats | +/- |
| Labour | 31 | +5 |
| Conservative | 10 | -2 |
| Green Party | 3 | 0 |
| Liberal Democrats | 2 | -2 |
| Independent | 0 | -1 |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

## Election result

Reading Borough Council Election, 2014 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 11 | +5 | 0 | +5 | 70% | 39.0% | 15,024 | -6.0% |
| Conservative | 2 | +1 | -3 | -2 | 12% | 25.5% | 9,826 | -2.3% |
| Green | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12% | 13.6% | 5,243 | +2.5% |
| UKIP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 8.9% | 3,446 | +8.3% |
| Liberal Democrats | 1 | 0 | -2 | -2 | 6% | 8.9% | 3,414 | -1.1% |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | -1 | -1 | 0% | 3.9% | 1,487 | +0.2% |
| The Roman Party Ave! | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0.1% | 43 | 0% |
| TUSC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0.1% | 23 | New |
Note: The figures above for votes and vote percentages do not include the Park by-election.

## Ward results

Abbey Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bet Tickner | 1,195 | 49% | −9.7% |
| | Conservative | Laurence Taylor | 475 | 19.4% | +1.3% |
| | Green | Richard Black | 315 | 12.9% | +1.2% |
| | UKIP | Stephen George | 236 | 9.6% | +9.6% |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Moore | 218 | 8.9% | +2.0% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 720 | 29.5% | −10.7% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,439 | 25% | +5.0% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.0% | |
Battle Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sarah Hacker | 1,255 | 57.0% | +3.0% |
| | Conservative | Imraan Ishtiaq | 442 | 20.0% | −7.7% |
| | Green | Alan Lockey | 293 | 13.3% | +3.3% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Glenn Goodall | 167 | 7.5% | +1.9% |
| | The Roman Party Ave! | Jean-Louis Pascual | 43 | 1.9% | −0.3% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 813 | 36.9% | 10.7% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,220 | 28% | +3.0% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +5.3% | |
Caversham Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rachael Chrisp | 1,081 | 37.0% | −12.0% |
| | Conservative | Geoff Poland | 894 | 30.6% | −3.6% |
| | Green | Jenny Hicks | 362 | 12.3% | +2.0% |
| | UKIP | Michael Diamond | 348 | 11.9% | +11.9% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Burden | 212 | 7.2% | +0.7% |
| | TUSC | Silvia Vousden | 23 | 0.7% | +0.7% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 187 | 6.4% | −7.8% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2920 | 39% | +4.0% |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -4.2% | |
Church Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ashley Pearce | 919 | 41.3% | −9.2% |
| | Conservative | Paul Carnell | 577 | 25.9% | −8.4% |
| | UKIP | Ann Zebedee | 380 | 17.1% | +17.1% |
| | Green | Vivienne Johnson | 238 | 10.7% | +3.2% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret McNeill | 108 | 4.8% | +0.2% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 342 | 15.3% | −0.8% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,222 | 26% | +1.0% |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -0.4% | |
Katesgrove Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sophia James | 992 | 48.5% | −7.4% |
| | Conservative | Emma Warman | 334 | 16.3% | +1.5% |
| | Green | Louise Keane | 278 | 13.6% | +3.8% |
| | UKIP | John Dearing | 248 | 12.1% | +12.1% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Kinsley | 191 | 9.3% | −6.8% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 658 | 32.2% | −7.5% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,043 | 28% | +5.0% |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | -4.4% | |
Kentwood Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Glenn Dennis | 989 | 35.9% | −10.9% |
| | Conservative | Tom Steele | 847 | 30.8% | −4.6% |
| | UKIP | Howard Thomas | 601 | 21.8% | +21.8% |
| | Green | Ruth Shaffrey | 178 | 6.4% | 0.0% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jon Walls | 135 | 4.9% | −0.5% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 142 | 5.1% | −6.2% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,750 | 37% | +7.0% |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | -3.1% | |
Minster Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Marian Livingston | 1,090 | 44.3% | −14.9% |
| | Conservative | Katie Black | 664 | 27.0% | +0.7% |
| | UKIP | Patrick Dillon | 351 | 14.2% | +14.2% |
| | Green | Hazel Murphy | 226 | 10.8% | +3.7% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Fanti | 128 | 5.2% | −2.0% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 426 | 17.3% | −15.5% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,459 | 32% | +3.0% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.8% | |
Norcot Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Debs Absolom | 1,368 | 57.0% | −11.8% |
| | Conservative | Clare Vose | 573 | 23.9% | +4.0% |
| | Green | David James Patterson | 289 | 12.0% | +6.2% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Georgina Hughes | 169 | 7.0% | −0.2% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 795 | 33.1% | −15.7% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,399 | 32% | +5.0% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.9% | |
Park Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | Rob White | 1,669 | 53.3% | +6.9% |
| | Labour | Anrish Kaur | 936 | 29.9% | −10.9% |
| | Conservative | Mohammad Basharat | 320 | 10.2% | −0.2% |
| | UKIP | Anne Armstrong | 119 | 3.8% | +3.8% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rebecca Rye | 84 | 2.6% | +0.6% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 733 | 23.4% | +17.8% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,128 | 43% | +8.0% |
| | Green hold | Green hold | Swing | +8.9% | |
Park Ward By-Election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | Josh Williams | 1,569 | 51.1% | +4.7% |
| | Labour | Matthew Lawrence | 1,015 | 33.0% | −7.8% |
| | Conservative | Shanaz Akhtar | 391 | 12.7% | +2.3% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Francis Jakeman | 93 | 3.0% | +1.0% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 554 | 18.0% | +12.4% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,068 | 43% | +8.0% |
| | Green hold | Green hold | Swing | +6.3 | |
Peppard Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Simon Robinson | 1,027 | 31.8% | −6.6% |
| | Independent | Mark Ralph | 886 | 27.5% | −0.3% |
| | Labour | Natalie Platts | 509 | 15.8% | +0.5% |
| | UKIP | John Knight | 460 | 14.2% | +14.2% |
| | Green | Kate Day | 186 | 5.7% | −1.7% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jenny Woods | 152 | 4.7% | −5.7% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 141 | 4.3% | −6.3% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,220 | 42% | +5.0% |
| | Conservative gain from Independent | Conservative gain from Independent | Swing | -3.1% | |
Redlands Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | David Absolom | 1,047 | 44.9% | −6.9% |
| | Conservative | Helen Hopper | 430 | 18.4% | +4.7% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kirsten Bayes | 341 | 14.6% | −6.7% |
| | Green | Kizzi Murtagh | 337 | 14.4% | +1.8% |
| | UKIP | Robert Derek Allen | 173 | 7.4% | +7.4% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 617 | 26.5% | −3.9% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,328 | 31% | +5.0% |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | -5.8% | |
Southcote Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Ennis | 1,286 | 57.5% | −7.5% |
| | Conservative | Ellis Wiggins | 626 | 28.0% | +5.2% |
| | Green | Doug Cresswell | 213 | 9.5% | +4.2% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Madeline Adams | 110 | 4.9% | −1.8% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 660 | 29.5% | −12.7% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,235 | 34% | +2.0% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.3% | |
Thames Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Stevens | 1,486 | 45.5% | +0.6% |
| | Labour | Richard Stainthorp | 766 | 23.4% | +1.2% |
| | Green | Sarah McNamara | 385 | 11.8% | +0.8% |
| | Independent | John Dickson | 332 | 10.1% | −1.3% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Guy William Gipps Penman | 293 | 8.9% | −1.1% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 720 | 22.0% | −0.7% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,262 | 44% | +6.0% |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.3% | |
Tilehurst Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ricky Duveen | 1,013 | 37.2% | −1.4% |
| | Conservative | Robert Vickers | 643 | 23.6% | −2.4% |
| | UKIP | William Stewart Graham MacPhee | 530 | 19.4% | +10.0% |
| | Labour | Haji Banaras | 429 | 15.7% | −6.2% |
| | Green | Miriam Kennet | 107 | 3.9% | +0.2% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 370 | 13.5% | +0.9% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,722 | 38% | +6.0% |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | -1.9% | |
Whitley Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rachel Eden | 1,162 | 53.2% | −11.2% |
| | Conservative | Nick Brown | 488 | 22.3% | +4.4% |
| | Independent | Jamie Steven Wake | 269 | 12.3% | +7.7% |
| | Green | Keith Martin Johnson | 169 | 7.7% | +3.9% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Janel Blatter | 93 | 4.2% | +1.0% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 674 | 30.9% | −15.6% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,181 | 26.0% | +4.0% |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -7.8% | |

## By-elections between 2014 and 2015

Southcote by-election 24 July 2014 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Matthew Lawrence | 1019 | 59.8 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative | Ellis Wiggins | 340 | 20.0 | −8.0 |
| | UKIP | Ann Zebedee | 226 | 13.3 | +13.3 |
| | Green | Alan Lockey | 69 | 4.1 | −5.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret McNeill | 49 | 2.9 | −2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 679 | 39.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,703 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |