# 2018 Wokingham Borough Council election

The 2018 Wokingham Borough Council election took place on Thursday 3 May 2018. That was the same day as other United Kingdom local elections in order to elect members of Wokingham Unitary Council in Berkshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed comfortably in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was:
* Conservative 42
* Liberal Democrat 8
* Labour 3
* Independent 1

## Background

A total of 60 candidates contested the 18 seats which were up for election.
Issues in the election included:
* Some recent controversial planning applications
* Wokingham Town Centre Regeneration
Since the last round of elections, there had been 1 by-election in Emmbrook in 2017, which was won by the Liberal Democrats. Also, 2 Councillors had left the Conservatives, with one joining the Liberal Democrats and one standing as an Independent.

## Election result

The Conservatives retained control of the council. The Liberal Democrats held two out of the three seats they defended, retaining their seats in Emmbrook and Winnersh, but lost a seat in South Lake to the Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats gained 2 seats in both Hawkedon and Evendons. Labour gained 2 seats in Bulmershe and Whitegates & Norreys. The Conservatives gained 1 seat in South Lake, but lost 4 seats in Evendons, Norreys, Bulmershe & Whitegates and Hawkedon. 1 seat was held by an Independent.
Wokingham Local Election Result 2018 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 42 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 77.7% | 45.1% | 18,325 | -7.6% |
| Liberal Democrats | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 14.8% | 31.7% | 12,888 | +10.6% |
| Labour | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5.5% | 18.8% | 7,624 | +5.3% |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6% | 247 | -5.3% |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.8% | 3.3% | 1,347 | +1.3% |
There were a total of 40,551 votes cast, including 120 spoiled ballots.

## Ward results

Arborfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Gary Cowan | 540 | 65.6 | +65.6 |
| | Conservative | David Edmonds | 233 | 28.3 | −30.6 |
| | Labour | Chris Everett | 48 | 5.8 | +5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 307 | 37.3 | +4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 822 | 41% | +4.7 |
| | Independent gain from Conservative | Independent gain from Conservative | Swing | 17.5 | |
Bulmershe & Whitegates :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Carl Doran | 1,357 | 44.5 | +5.3 |
| | Conservative | Majid Nagra | 1167 | 38.2 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nigel Harman | 371 | 12.1 | −7.6 |
| | Green | Brian O'Callaghan | 143 | 4.6 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 190 | 6.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3047 | 43% | +1 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 3.8 | |
Coronation :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Keith Baker | 1,298 | 66.6 | +10 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Barton | 328 | 16.8 | +1.8 |
| | Labour | Ian Hills | 315 | 16.1 | +4.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 970 | 49.8 | +8.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1947 | 44 | −31 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 7.0 | |
Emmbrook :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Imogen Shepherd-DuBey | 1,829 | 57.2 | −2.5 |
| | Conservative | Jack Beresford | 1084 | 33.9 | +0.6 |
| | Labour | Peyman Jahromi | 274 | 8.5 | +5.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 745 | 23.3 | −3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3197 | 47 | +7.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | -0.5 | |
Evendons :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Helen Power | 1,375 | 46.5 | 11.2 |
| | Conservative | Mark Ashwell | 1198 | 40.5 | −2.2 |
| | Labour | Annette Medhurst | 369 | 12.5 | −0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 177 | 5.9 | +0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2952 | 41 | 9 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | 4.5 | |
Finchampstead North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Daniel Sargeant | 1,086 | 57.1 | −12.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Cornish | 611 | 32.1 | +21.0 |
| | Green | Martyn Foss | 104 | 5.4 | −2.8 |
| | Labour | David Appleyard | 97 | 5.1 | −6.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 475 | 25.0 | −20.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1899 | 44 | 6% |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 4.2 | |
Finchampstead South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Simon Weeks | 978 | 55.5 | +4.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Susan Cornish | 581 | 33.0 | +12.1 |
| | Labour | Hayley Rentall | 194 | 11.0 | +1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 397 | 22.5 | −7.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1759 | 40 | +9.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 8.4 | |
Hawkedon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Hare | 1,096 | 44.8 | −3.9 |
| | Conservative | Michael Firmager | 975 | 39.8 | +1.7 |
| | Labour | Brent Lees | 369 | 15.0 | +1.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 121 | 4.9 | −5.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2445 | 35 | 3% |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | -1.1 | |
Hillside :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Christopher Smith | 1,233 | 44.0 | −7.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sue Smith | 1166 | 41.6 | 10.6 |
| | Labour | Timothy Lloyd | 394 | 14.0 | 3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 67 | 2.3 | −18.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2798 | 43.0 | 6.0% |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 1.3 | |
Loddon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bill Soane | 1,358 | 57.7 | +4.9 |
| | Labour | Rick Lay | 525 | 22.1 | +2.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tom McCann | 477 | 20.1 | −8.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 833 | 35.1 | 6.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2372 | 33 | 4% |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 2.2 | |
Maiden Erlegh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Guy Grandison | 1,141 | 40.9 | −5.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tahir Maher | 885 | 31.7 | +4.3 |
| | Labour | Nadine Masseron | 750 | 26.8 | +8.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 256 | 9.1 | −17.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2789 | 40 | 8% |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -2.5 | |
Norreys :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rachel Burgess | 1,157 | 38.1 | +23.3 |
| | Conservative | David Lee | 1084 | 35.7 | −8.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Morgan Rise | 405 | 13.3 | −3.8 |
| | Independent | Philip Cunnington | 384 | 12.6 | +7.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 73 | 2.4 | +24.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3035 | 40 | 8% |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 7.4 | |
Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Graham Howe | 1,150 | 67.5 | +2.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Yonni Wilson | 370 | 21.7 | +6.0 |
| | Labour | Stuart Crainer | 175 | 10.2 | −1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 780 | 45.8 | −3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1703 | 31% | 3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 4.45 | |
Shinfield South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Barrie Patman | 810 | 40.2 | −22.4 |
| | Independent | Jim Freewin | 423 | 21.0 | +21.0 |
| | Labour | Marcus McDowell | 416 | 20.6 | +6.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Johnson | 359 | 17.8 | +6.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 387 | 19.2 | −29.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2011 | 31 | +4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -0.7 | |
South Lake :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jenny Cheng | 801 | 40.3 | −0.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Beth Rowland | 682 | 34.3 | +4.1 |
| | Labour | Tony Skuse | 497 | 25.0 | +9.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 119 | 5.9 | −4.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1987 | 45 | −29 |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | 1.9 | |
Swallowfield :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Stuart Munro | 553 | 68.4 | +11.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Steven Scarrott | 134 | 16.5 | +8.4 |
| | Labour | James Reid | 118 | 14.6 | 14.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 419 | 51.8 | +16.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 808 | 35 | 0.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 9.7 | |
Winnersh :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Prue Bray | 1,646 | 62.2 | +15.5 |
| | Conservative | Ethan Stacey | 695 | 26.2 | +5.6 |
| | Labour | Steve Stanton | 297 | 11.2 | −5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 951 | 35.9 | +21.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2644 | 36 | 1 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 4.5 | |
Wokingham Without :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Angus Ross | 1,481 | 63.3 | −1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jordan Montgomery | 573 | 24.5 | +16.4 |
| | Labour | Yvonne Hignell | 272 | 11.6 | −1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 908 | 38.8 | −11.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2336 | 38 | −11.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 7.5 | |