IF A General Election was held tomorrow, new research implies the Reading West seat could once again change hands.
Previously the tenure of Martin Salter, the current incumbent, Alok Sharma, could lose it in any subsequent poll according to website Election Maps UK.
Last week, it released an update on seats based on local election results, and it shows that Labour could take the seat back from the Conservatives for the first time since 2010.
Election Maps UK predicts Labour would win a majority of 4,373 votes, and a 4% swing.
The closest Labour has come to unseating Mr Sharma was in 2017, when candidate Olivia Bailey received 22,435 votes, 2,876 shy of Mr Sharma’s 25,311.
In 2019, Mr Sharma’s vote decreased to 24,393, but the vote for Labour candidate Rachel Eden also declined, with Labour coming in second place again with 20,276, leaving Mr Sharma with a majority of 4,117.
Cllr Eden, who serves Whitley ward on Reading Borough Council, said: “Obviously opinion polls come and go and we would never take things for granted, but certainly in my view there’s been a shift of opinion on the doorstep.
“People are talking about giving Labour another chance, that they like Sir Keir Starmer and our policies. I think there’s a really good opportunity for Labour to have a hearing.
“People are willing to listen to us and tell us their hopes and fears, if we can put forward a strong policy offer and a good candidate we have a good chance of winning.”
Reading Labour had yet to choose its candidate for the next general election, but Cllr Eden, who is also borough mayor, confirmed she would be happy to stand again.
“I think there’s a real chance we can convince people to support us. There will be other really strong candidates, hopefully multiple good people who want to represent Labour in our area,” she said.
The next general election is expected to be held in 2024.
Mr Sharma and the chairman of the Reading West Conservatives have both been emailed for a comment.
