THE RESULTS for Reading’s local election have now been announced in full as results from across the country continue to emerge.
Reading is among those where Labour has made gains so far as the party holds its overall majority on contested seats in the town.
Just one seat’s difference was gained, as Labour took Caversham Heights in a hotly-contested ward which came down to just 130 votes, meaning Cllr Sam Juthani will take the place of Cllr Paul Carnell.
Abbey, Battle, Caversham, and Church wards all saw Labour holding, as well as Coley, Norcot, Redlands, Southcote, Thames, and Whitley.
The Green Party held their seat in Katesgrove and both seats in Park ward, with a margin of around 500 votes each.
The Conservatives held their seats in Emmer Green, and Kentwood, while the Liberal Democrats held their seat in Tilehurst, with Cllr Anne Thompson remaining in her position.
Overall, Labour has gained an extra seat, extending its overall majority in the council by a small margin.
Reading East’s Labour MP Matt Rodda said after the results were announced: “We’ve had some incredible steps forward in Reading.
“We’ve won seats in a ward that, a few years ago, we just thought was nowhere near possible, and we’ve held onto a very hotly contested where the Green Party were our opponents.
“It’s a majority still for the Labour candidates, and [the number of] Labour councillors are up in almost all cases; we’ve had a superb response on the doorstep, and we’re very grateful and honoured to serve the people of Reading.”
Green Party Cllr Doug Cresswell said at the count: “We’ve been out knocking on doors, talking to people, and it’s been a really positive day, and things change through the day and everyone worked very hard, which was nice to see.
“It was a proper race, and I’m very excited about the next four years; we’re building and building, so when people realise they can vote Green and get us in, that’s where we benefit.”
Now, he says, he would like to see further improvements on environmental issues: “Litter and bins is something we can really make strides on, but there are plenty of other issues.”
Conservative Cllr Clarence Mitchell said: “Obviously, we’ve lost one seat, which is a disappointment; Paul Carnell is a very good councillor who has served residents there faithfully for many years.
“It’s a shame, as he lost by only around 150 votes, I think, so we are determined to recapture Caversham Heights, and we’ve heard the message loudly and clearly.
“If the figures for the party nationally are poor, we basically have still a group of five members on Reading Borough Council and, given the large, overwhelming labour majority, we’re pleased with that result.
“We’ve also gained a new candidate, Steven Goss in Emmer Green, which we feel is a very good result, and we’re very grateful to those Conservative voters who came out and voted for our candidates.”
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Please note: This article previously stated that Conservative Cllr Isobel Ballsden lost their seat, which is inaccurate. Cllr Paul Cornell is the cllr who will be replaced by Cllr Sam Juthani.
