There is heartbreak from the Labour leadership in Reading as three councillors who were in charge of key policy areas were all unseated by the Greens.
The election, with in-person voting on May 7, saw the Labour Party maintain their control on the council.
But the leadership has suffered a blow with three lead councillors losing their seats in the first council elections since the Labour government came to power in July 2024.
In one of the first results announced on the night after 2.30am, Karen Rowland, lead councillor for environmental services and community safety, was beaten by Green challenger Jacqueline Dominguez.
She won with 792 votes, beating cllr Rowland’s 683 votes, a majority of 109.
Cllr Rowland was first elected in 2018 and kept her seat during the all-out elections in 2022.
Adele Barnett-Ward, lead councillor for leisure and culture, lost her seat to Green contender David Clarke, who works in the Emergency Department at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.
Cllr Barnett-Ward lost with 750 votes to Mr Clarke’s 1,031, a majority of 281.
And in a nail-biter finish after a recount, Ellie Emberson, lead councillor for corporate services and resources, lost to Green candidate Richard Walkem.
This was the closest race, with Mr Walkem winning with 973 to cllr Emberson’s 964, a majority of just nine votes.
Labour is still in control of the council, welcoming newcomers Ulrike Magyarosy for Southcote, Ali Foster for Norcot and Pratikshya Gurung for Battle, who fended off a strong challenge from Green candidate Zoe Mann.
Ms Gurung won with 1,180 votes to Ms Mann’s 998.
She will take the Battle seat vacated by cllr Sarah Hacker, who won as a Labour candidate in 2022 but was expelled from the Labour Party in April 2023.
Glenn Dennis, the incumbent Labour councillor for Kentwood and mayor for 2024/25, kept his seat with 1,014 votes, a majority of 239 over David Milne-Buckley, the closest challenger from the Conservatives.
The Conservatives themselves saw a minor resurgence, with Alex Smith beating cllr Clarence Mitchell, who defected to Reform UK in January, to win Emmer Green.
Ms Smith won with 1,143 votes, to second place Green candidate Hannah Connibear’s 1,103 votes, with cllr Mitchell mustering 805 votes.
In Caversham Heights, Conservative cllr Isobel Ballsdon kept her seat with 1,900 votes.
Newcomer Tory Saadia Saadat also won the seat vacated by Labour cllr Sam Juthani with 1,218 votes.
Labour candidates Richard Stainthorp, a former cllr and Jo Musominari were the runners up, receiving 1,088 and 1,058 votes respectively.
Labour incumbents Ruth McEwan for Church ward, Rachel Eden for Whitley ward and Jacopo Lanzoni for Caversham ward all kept their seats.
The results on the day were seven Labour councillors elected, six Greens, three Conservatives and one Liberal Democrat, with cllr Meri O’Connell holding onto her seat in Tilehurst.
The council is now made up of 29 Labour councillors, 11 Greens, five Conservatives and three Liberal Democrats, as it is elected in thirds.
The results came in on Friday, May 8.
