# 1984 Reading Borough Council election

The 1984 Reading Borough Council election was held on 3 May 1984, at the same time as other local elections across England and Scotland. One third of Reading Borough Council's 45 seats were up for election.
The election saw the Conservatives' majority on the council reduced to just one seat. After the election, the Conservatives had 23 seats, Labour had 17 seats, and the SDP-Liberal Alliance had 5 seats.
The leader of the Conservative group was Deryck Morton, and the leader of the Labour group was Mike Orton, both remaining in post after the election. The Liberal leader on the council prior to the election was Basil Dunning, but he was replaced immediately after the election by former leader Jim Day, who had lost his seat in 1983 but regained it at this election.

## Results

Reading Borough Council Election, 1984 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 6 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 40.0% | 42.4% | 16,843 | -3.7% |
| Labour | 8 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 53.3% | 33.5% | 13,286 | +3.6% |
| Alliance | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 6.7% | 23.2% | 9,216 | -0.1% |
| Ecology | 0 | | | | 0% | 0.9% | 363 | +0.1% |

### Ward results

The results in each ward were as follows (candidates with an asterisk(*) were the previous incumbent standing for re-election, candidates with a dagger(†) were sitting councillors contesting different wards):
Abbey Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Silverthorne* | 1,285 | 57.7 | +5.3 |
| | Conservative | Jerry Wray | 628 | 28.2 | −3.4 |
| | Liberal | John Riley | 314 | 14.1 | +0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,227 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +4.35 | |
Battle Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Joe Bristow | 927 | 44.5 | +4.2 |
| | Conservative | George Robinson† | 806 | 38.7 | +0.9 |
| | Liberal | George Ford | 281 | 13.5 | −8.5 |
| | Ecology | Ian Cooper | 69 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,083 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +1.65 | |
Caversham Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Pauline Palmer | 1,907 | 64.8 | −2.9 |
| | Labour | Pat Mander | 720 | 24.4 | +3.5 |
| | Liberal | Imogen Pravda | 318 | 10.8 | −0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,945 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -3.2 | |
Church Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Maureen Lockey* | 1,053 | 49.2 | +5.1 |
| | Conservative | Grace Wray | 758 | 35.4 | −1.2 |
| | Liberal | Steve Begg | 328 | 15.3 | −3.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,139 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +3.15 | |
Katesgrove Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ron Williams* | 1,030 | 50.7 | +5.4 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Foley | 680 | 33.5 | −10.7 |
| | SDP | Andrew McLuskey | 267 | 13.2 | +5.4 |
| | Ecology | Mark Roberts | 53 | 2.6 | −0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,030 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +8.05 | |
Kentwood Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Stephen Thomas* | 1,190 | 40.0 | −2.6 |
| | Liberal | Tom Heydeman† | 865 | 30.8 | +2.6 |
| | Labour | Pete Watkins | 704 | 23.6 | 0.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,978 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -2.6 | |
Minster Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Deryck Morton† | 1,464 | 54.6 | −4.4 |
| | Labour | Phil Armson | 805 | 30.0 | +4.0 |
| | SDP | Alan Jackson | 411 | 15.3 | +0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,680 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -4.2 | |
Norcot Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Helen Hathaway | 1,024 | 40.8 | +7.7 |
| | Liberal | Joyce Wicks | 1,008 | 40.2 | +0.3 |
| | Conservative | Dharam Ahuja | 476 | 19.0 | −8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,508 | | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal | Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.0 | |
Park Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Martin Salter | 1,388 | 44.2 | +9.7 |
| | Conservative | Simon Oliver* | 1,211 | 38.5 | −1.1 |
| | SDP | Rod Campbell | 424 | 13.5 | −8.5 |
| | Ecology | Philip Unsworth | 120 | 3.8 | −0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,143 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.4 | |
Peppard Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mary Irwin* | 1,859 | 62.6 | +3.8 |
| | SDP | Clive Jones | 717 | 24.1 | −8.0 |
| | Labour | Gerald (Bob) Scott | 394 | 13.3 | +4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,970 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +5.9 | |
Redlands Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Robert Dimmick | 1,053 | 37.3 | +5.7 |
| | Conservative | Martin Lower* | 963 | 34.1 | −4.3 |
| | SDP | Howard Rodaway | 687 | 24.3 | −2.7 |
| | Ecology | Chris Parr | 121 | 4.3 | +1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,824 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +5.0 | |
Southcote Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jack Irwin* | 1,307 | 45.7 | −5.8 |
| | Labour | Norma Sinclair | 951 | 33.3 | +1.6 |
| | SDP | Charles Bond | 599 | 21.0 | +4.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,857 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -5.0 | |
Thames Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Pam Fuad | 2,045 | 60.3 | −6.5 |
| | Liberal | Martyn Allies | 935 | 27.6 | +5.8 |
| | Labour | Phil Hingley | 411 | 12.1 | +0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,391 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -6.15 | |
Tilehurst Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Jim Day | 1,681 | 55.1 | +8.4 |
| | Conservative | Pat Layton | 993 | 32.6 | −7.0 |
| | Labour | Jim Toner | 376 | 12.3 | −0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,050 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +7.7 | |
Whitley Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tony Jones | 1,165 | 61.9 | +2.8 |
| | Conservative | Jack Cleminson | 556 | 29.5 | −0.6 |
| | SDP | Sean O'Connell | 162 | 8.6 | −2.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,883 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +1.7 | |

## By-elections 1984–1986
### Church by-election 1984

Church By-Election 6 December 1984 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kay Everett | 909 | 52.0 | +2.7 |
| | Conservative | Grace Wray | 439 | 25.1 | −10.3 |
| | Liberal | Steve Begg | 401 | 22.9 | +7.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 470 | 26.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,749 | 26.5 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | +6.5 | |
The Church ward by-election in 1984 was triggered by the resignation of Labour councillor Dave Absolom.

### Battle by-election 1985

Battle By-Election 25 July 1985 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Clive Chandler | 908 | 43.3 | −1.2 |
| | SDP | Clive Jones | 719 | 34.3 | +20.8 |
| | Conservative | Sue White | 421 | 20.1 | −18.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 189 | 9.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,097 | 31.5 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -11.0 | |
The Battle ward by-election in 1985 was triggered by the death of Labour councillor Joe Bristow.