Reading (UK Parliament constituency)

This article is about the historic constituency. For proposed constituency that was briefly known as Reading, see Reading Central (UK Parliament constituency).

Reading
Former Borough constituency for the House of Commons
County	Berkshire
1295–1950
Seats	Two until 1885, then one until 1950
Replaced by	Reading North and Reading South
1955–1974 (1974)
Seats	One
Type of constituency	Borough constituency
Created from	Reading North and Reading South
Replaced by	Reading North and Reading South

Reading was a parliamentary borough, and later a borough constituency in England, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of England until 1707, the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950 and 1955 to 1974. Until 1885, the constituency comprised the town of Reading in the county of Berkshire; after 1885, it was centred on the town but the exact boundaries differed.

From 1295, as a parliamentary borough, Reading elected two members of parliament (MPs). Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, this representation was reduced to a single MP.

History

Reading was one of the boroughs summoned to send members to the Model Parliament. The boundaries (encompassing the whole of one parish and parts of two others) were effectively unchanged from 1295 to 1918. In 1831, the population of the borough was 15,935, and contained 3,307 houses.

The right to vote was exercised by all inhabitants paying scot and lot, a relatively wide franchise for the period, and almost 2,000 votes were cast at the general election of 1826. Despite this high electorate, the corporation of the town was generally considered in practice to control elections to a large extent. In the second half of the 18th century, Reading was notoriously one of the most corrupt constituencies in England, bribery being both routine and expensive: Namier quotes the accounts kept for Prime Minister Newcastle of the 1754 election, which note that John Dodd, the government's candidate there, had already received £1000 and was promised £500 or £600 more to help him win the seat. ^[1] (Dodd lost by one vote, but had the result overturned on petition by a partisan vote in the House of Commons, and Newcastle's accounts show a continuing trickle of funds to him to nurse the constituency over the next few years.) A few years later, the nomination to one of Reading's seats was advertised for sale in a London newspaper, though Reading was not mentioned by name and no price was specified; the newspaper's printers were charged by the Commons with a breach of privilege, but the sale of seats remained legal if frowned-upon until 1809.

The Great Reform Act left Reading's representation and boundaries unchanged, and the reformed franchise far from increasing its electorate seems to have reduced it: it was estimated that there were 1,250 voters in 1831, but only 1,001 were registered for the first post-Reform election, that of 1832.

Context of 1923. Larger as town had grown, one of Labour's 191 of 615 seats: a supply and confidence government lasted for 10 months with Liberal support. 1929 was similar but better for Labour.

Context of 1906. The Liberal Landslide victory.

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, coming into effect at the 1885 general election, reduced the representation of the parliamentary borough to a single MP. The single-member Reading constituency continued to exist until it was split in 1950 into the separate constituencies of Reading North and Reading South. These two constituencies were merged back into a single Reading constituency in 1955, but again split apart in 1974; despite its name, the 1955 constituency did not contain the whole of the County Borough of Reading, with one ward being included in both of the Newbury and Wokingham seats.

After 1885, the constituency was marginal, regularly changing hands between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party up to 1918, then between the Conservatives and Labour.

Today the area formerly covered by the Reading constituency is within the constituencies of Reading East and Reading West, which will be replaced by the constituencies of Reading Central, Reading West and Mid Berkshire, and Earley and Woodley at the 2024 general election.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1885–1918

• The existing Parliamentary borough; and
• The area between the boundary of the Parliamentary borough and a boundary line drawn from the point at which the Reading and Reigate Railway crossed the boundary of the Parliamentary borough at the River Kennet, eastward along the Railway until it crossed Culver Lane, then westward along the centre of Culver Lane as far as the centre of Wokingham Road, then southward along the centre of Wokingham Road as far as the centre of Crescent Road, then westward along the centre of Crescent Road as far as the centre of Eastern Avenue, then southward along the centre of Eastern Avenue as far as the centre of Upper Redlands Road, then westward along the centre of Upper Redlands Road as far as the centre of Alexandra Road, then south and west along the centre of Junction Road to the centre of Christchurch Road, then along the centre of Christchurch Road until the line reached the boundary of the existing Parliamentary borough. ^[2]

Minor expansion - see map on Vision of Britain website. ^[3]

1918–1950

• The County Borough of Reading. ^[4]

Boundaries extended to the south and west (gained from the Newbury and Wokingham Divisions), and to the north of the River Thames with the annexation of the Urban District of Caversham (part of the Henley Division of Oxfordshire) by Reading County Borough.

For the 1950 general election, Reading was abolished as a single-member Parliamentary borough and split between the two new borough constituencies of Reading North and Reading South.

1955–1974

For the 1955 general election, Reading was re-established, replacing Reading North and Reading South and comprising:

• The County Borough of Reading wards of Abbey, Battle, Castle, Caversham East, Caversham West, Church, Katesgrove, Minster, Redlands, Victoria, West. ^[4]

The East and Tilehurst wards were included in the Wokingham and Newbury constituencies respectively.

From the 1964 general election, a revision to the County Borough wards resulted in minor changes. The constituency now comprised:

• The County Borough of Reading wards of Abbey, Battle, Castle, Caversham, Christchurch, Katesgrove, Minster, Redlands, Thames, and Whitley. ^[4]

The constituency was abolished once again for the 1974 general election. The Christchurch, Redlands and Whitley wards were included in the re-established constituency of Reading South, with remaining wards being included in Reading North.

Members of Parliament

1295–1660

• Constituency created 1295

Parliament	First member	Second member
1369	William Catour [5]
1371	William Catour [5]
1378	David atte Hacche [6]
1385	John Doublet [7]
1386	William Stapper	Robert atte Lee [8]
1388 (Feb)	David atte Hacche	Richard Bedull [8]
1388 (Sep)	John Balet	Nicholas Vachell [8]
1390 (Jan)	John Kent	Robert Capellade [8]
1390 (Nov)
1391	Henry Barbour	John Doublet [8]
1393	William Catour	David atte Hacche [8]
1394	William Saville	William Tho... [8]
1395	William Shortwade	John Ede [8]
1397 (Jan)	John White	Richard Pernecote [8]
1397 (Sep)	Thomas Selham	Robert Godewyn [8]
1399	Roger Hay	John Hunt [8]
1401
1402
1404 (Jan)	John Kent	William Derby [8]
1404 (Oct)
1406	John Hunt	Philip Richard [8]
1407	John Merehan	William Kenelme [8]
1410	John White	Alexander Colshull [8]
1411
1413 (Feb)
1413 (May)	William Wilton	Richard Farle [8]
1414 (Apr)	John Hastyng	John Clerk [8]
1414 (Nov)	Stephen Stapper	John Pernecote [8]
1415
1416 (Mar)	Walter Mustard	Thomas Lavyngton 1 [8]
1416 (Oct)
1417	Alexander Colshull	Thomas Lavyngton [8]
1419	Robert Morys	Richard Cross [8]
1420	Thomas Lavyngton	John Veyr [8]
1421 (May)	Thomas Lavyngton	Simon Porter alias Kent [8]
1421 (Dec)	John Hunt	William Kyng [8]
1422	Simon Porter alias Kent [9]
1425	Simon Porter alias Kent [9]
1432	Simon Porter alias Kent [9]
1433	Simon Porter alias Kent [9]
1435	Simon Porter alias Kent [9]
1437	Simon Porter alias Kent [9]
1447	Simon Porter alias Kent [9]
1449 (Feb)	Simon Porter alias Kent [9]
1449 (Nov)	Simon Porter alias Kent [9]
1510	Richard Cleche	William Justice [10]
1512	William Gifford	Richard Smith [10]
1515	Edmund Knightley	John Pownsar [10]
1523	Nicholas Hyde	William Edmonds [10]
1529	Thomas Vachell I	John Raymond [10]
1536	Thomas Vachell I	John Raymond [10]
1539	?Thomas Vachell I	?John Raymond [10]
1542	Thomas Vachell I	Richard Justice [10]
1545	Thomas Vachell I	Roger Amyce [10]
1547	William Grey, died May 1551 repl. 1552 by Sir John Mason	John Marshe [10]
1553 (Mar)	John Bourne	John Winchcombe [10]
1553 (Oct)	Thomas Vachell I	John Bell [10]
1554 (Apr)	Robert Bowyer III	John Lovelace [10]
1554 (Nov)	John Bourne	Edmund Plowden [10]
1555	Thomas Vachell II	John Bell [10]
1558	Thomas Aldworth	John Bell [10]
1558–9	Thomas Aldworth	Thomas Turner [11]
1562–3	Henry Knollys	Robert Rowbotham [11]
1571	Henry Knollys	John Hastings [11]
1572	Robert Knollys	Francis Alford [11]
1584	Robert Knollys	Robert Harris [11]
1586	Robert Knollys	Robert Harris [11]
1588	Robert Knollys, sat for Breconshire, repl. Feb 1589 by Thomas Egerton	Robert Harris [11]
1593	Humphrey Donatt	Charles Wednester [11]
1597	Sir Humphrey Forster	Francis Moore [11]
1601	Francis Moore	Anthony Blagrave [11]
1604	Francis Moore	Jerome Bowes
1614	Francis Moore	Robert Knollys
1621–1622	Anthony Barker	John Saunders
1624	Francis Knollys III	John Saunders
1625	Francis Knollys III	John Saunders
1626	Francis Knollys III	John Saunders
1628	Francis Knollys III	John Saunders
1629–1640	No Parliaments summoned

1640–1885

Year		First member	First party		Second member	Second party
April 1640		Francis Knollys III			Adm. Francis Knollys [12]
November 1640		Francis Knollys III (died 1643)			Adm. Francis Knollys (died 1648)
1645		Daniel Blagrave
1648		Tanfield Vachell
1653	Not represented in Barebones Parliament
1654		Robert Hammond
1656		Daniel Blagrave
1659		Henry Neville			Daniel Blagrave
1660		Thomas Rich			John Blagrave
1661		Sir Thomas Dolman			Richard Aldworth
1679		Nathan Knight			John Blagrave
March 1685		Thomas Coates			John Breedon
November 1685					William Aldworth
1689		Sir Henry Fane	Whig		Sir William Rich
1698		Sir Owen Buckingham			John Dalby
January 1701					Francis Knollys
November 1701		Anthony Blagrave			Tanfield Vachell
1702		Sir Owen Buckingham
1705					Sir William Rich
1708		Owen Buckingham			Anthony Blagrave
1710					John Dalby
1713		Robert Clarges			Felix Calvert
1716		Charles Cadogan			Owen Buckingham
1720					Richard Thompson	Whig
1722		Anthony Blagrave			Clement Kent
1727		Richard Potenger			Richard Thompson	Whig
1734					Henry Grey	Whig
1739		John Blagrave
1740					William Strode
February 1741					John Dodd	Whig
May 1741					William Strode
1747		John Conyers			Richard Neville Aldworth Neville
1754		William Strode			Charles Fane	Opposition Whig
1755		John Dodd	Whig
1761					Sir Francis Knollys
1768					Henry Vansittart
1774					Francis Annesley	Tory [13]
1782		Richard Aldworth-Neville	Whig [13]
1797		John Simeon	Tory [13]
1802		Charles Shaw-Lefevre	Whig [13]
1806					John Simeon	Tory [13]
1818					Charles Fyshe Palmer	Whig [13] [14] [15]
1820		John Monck	Whig [13]
1826					George Spence	Tory [13]
1827					Charles Fyshe Palmer	Whig [13] [14] [15]
1830		Charles Russell	Tory [13]
1834			Conservative [13]
1835					Thomas Talfourd	Radical [16] [17] [18]
1837		Charles Fyshe Palmer	Whig [13] [14] [15]
1841		Charles Russell	Conservative [13]		Henry Cadogan	Conservative [13]
1847		Francis Pigott	Whig [19]		Thomas Talfourd	Radical [16] [17] [18]
1849					John Frederick Stanford	Conservative
1852					Sir Henry Singer Keating	Whig [19]
1859			Liberal			Liberal
January 1860					Sir Francis Goldsmid	Liberal
November 1860		Gillery Pigott	Liberal
1863		George Shaw-Lefevre	Liberal
1878					George Palmer	Liberal
1885	Representation reduced to one member

1885–1950

Election		Member	Party
1885		Charles Townshend Murdoch	Conservative
1892		George William Palmer	Liberal
1895		Charles Townshend Murdoch	Conservative
1898 by-election		George William Palmer	Liberal
1904 by-election		Rufus Isaacs	Liberal
1913 by-election		Leslie Orme Wilson	Conservative
1922		Edward Cadogan	Conservative
1923		Somerville Hastings	Labour
1924		Herbert Williams	Conservative
1929		Somerville Hastings	Labour
1931		Alfred Howitt	Conservative
1945		Ian Mikardo	Labour
1950	Constituency divided into Reading North and Reading South

1955–1974

Election		Member	Party
1955	Constituency recreated
1955		Ian Mikardo	Labour
1959		Peter Emery	Conservative
1966		John Lee	Labour
1970		Gerard Vaughan	Conservative
Feb 1974	Constituency redivided into Reading North and Reading South

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Reading (2 seats) ^{[13] [20]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Charles Fyshe Palmer	522	36.1
	Tory	Charles Russell	471	32.6
	Whig	Stephen Lushington	452	31.3
Turnout			907	c. 72.6
Registered electors			c. 1,250
Majority			51	3.5
	Whig hold		Swing
Majority			19	1.3
	Tory hold		Swing

General election 1831: Reading (2 seats) ^{[13] [20]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Charles Fyshe Palmer	Unopposed
	Tory	Charles Russell	Unopposed
Registered electors			c. 1,250
	Whig hold
	Tory hold

General election 1832: Reading (2 seats) ^{[13] [21]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Charles Fyshe Palmer	Unopposed
	Tory	Charles Russell	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,001
	Whig hold
	Tory hold

General election 1835: Reading (2 seats) ^{[13] [21]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Radical	Thomas Talfourd	643	43.8
	Conservative	Charles Russell	441	30.0
	Whig	Benjamin Oliveira	384	26.2
Turnout			960	95.8
Registered electors			1,002
Majority			202	13.8
	Radical gain from Whig
Majority			57	3.8
	Conservative hold

General election 1837: Reading (2 seats) ^{[13] [21]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Radical	Thomas Talfourd	468	34.1	−9.7
	Whig	Charles Fyshe Palmer	457	33.3	+7.1
	Conservative	Charles Russell	448	32.6	+2.6
Turnout			875	84.5	−11.3
Registered electors			1,035
Majority			11	0.8	−13.0
	Radical hold		Swing	−5.5
Majority			9	0.7	N/A
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	+2.9

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Reading (2 seats) ^{[21] [13]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Charles Russell	570	29.4	+13.1
	Conservative	Henry Cadogan	564	29.1	+12.8
	Whig	Thomas Mills	410	21.1	+4.5
	Whig	William Tooke	397	20.5	+3.9
Majority			154	8.0	N/A
Turnout			984	82.4	−2.1
Registered electors			1,194
	Conservative gain from Whig		Swing	+4.5
	Conservative gain from Radical		Swing	+4.3

General election 1847: Reading (2 seats) ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Francis Pigott	614	29.1	+8.0
	Radical	Thomas Talfourd	596	28.3	+7.8
	Conservative	Charles Russell	521	24.7	−4.7
	Conservative	Henry Cadogan	376	17.8	−11.3
Turnout			1,054 (est)	84.2 (est)	+1.8
Registered electors			1,251
Majority			238	11.3	N/A
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	+8.0
Majority			75	3.6	N/A
	Radical gain from Conservative		Swing	+7.9

Talfourd resigned after being appointed a judge of the Court of Common Pleas, causing a by-election.

By-election, 8 August 1849: Reading ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Frederick Stanford	507	51.8	+9.3
	Whig	George Bowyer [22]	364	37.2	+8.1
	Radical	Thomas Norton [23] [24]	107	10.9	−17.4
Majority			143	14.6	N/A
Turnout			978	74.7	−9.5
Registered electors			1,309
	Conservative gain from Radical		Swing	+13.4

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Reading (2 seats) ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Francis Pigott	753	39.6	+10.5
	Whig	Henry Singer Keating	631	33.2	+4.9
	Conservative	Samuel Auchmuty Dickson [25]	518	27.2	−15.3
Majority			113	6.0	N/A
Turnout			951 (est)	68.0 (est)	−16.2
Registered electors			1,399
	Whig hold		Swing	+9.1
	Whig gain from Radical		Swing	+6.3

General election 1857: Reading (2 seats) ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Francis Pigott	Unopposed
	Whig	Henry Singer Keating	Unopposed
Registered electors			1,431
	Whig hold
	Whig hold

Keating was appointed Solicitor General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 2 June 1857: Reading ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Henry Singer Keating	Unopposed
	Whig hold

General election 1859: Reading (2 seats) ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	Francis Pigott	761	38.6
	Liberal	Henry Singer Keating	666	33.8
	Conservative	Ralph Augustus Benson	544	27.6
Majority			122	6.2
Turnout			986 (est)	67.9 (est)
Registered electors			1,451
	Liberal hold
	Liberal hold

Keating was appointed Solicitor General for England and Wales, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 27 June 1859: Reading ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Singer Keating	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s

Keating resigned after being appointed a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, causing a by-election.

By-election, 11 January 1860: Reading ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Francis Goldsmid	661	54.5	−17.9
	Conservative	Ralph Augustus Benson [26]	551	45.5	+17.9
Majority			110	9.0	+2.8
Turnout			1,212	80.5	+12.6
Registered electors			1,506
	Liberal hold		Swing	−17.9

Pigott resigned after being appointed Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, causing a by-election.

By-election, 21 November 1860: Reading ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Gillery Pigott	586	57.4	−15.0
	Conservative	Edward Walter [27]	435	42.6	+15.0
Majority			151	14.8	+8.6
Turnout			1,021	67.8	−0.1
Registered electors			1,506
	Liberal hold		Swing	−15.0

Pigott resigned after being appointed a Judge of the Court of the Exchequer, causing a by-election.

By-election, 17 October 1863: Reading ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Shaw-Lefevre	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

General election 1865: Reading (2 seats) ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Francis Goldsmid	727	38.6	0.0
	Liberal	George Shaw-Lefevre	714	37.9	+4.1
	Conservative	Stephen Tucker [28]	444	23.6	−4.0
Majority			270	14.3	+8.1
Turnout			1,165 (est)	65.8 (est)	−2.1
Registered electors			1,769
	Liberal hold		Swing	+2.0
	Liberal hold		Swing	+2.1

Shaw-Lefevre was appointed a Civil Lord of the Admiralty, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 5 May 1866: Reading ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Shaw-Lefevre	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

General election 1868: Reading (2 seats) ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Francis Goldsmid	1,629	38.5	−0.1
	Liberal	George Shaw-Lefevre	1,618	38.3	+0.4
	Conservative	Robert Carden	979	23.2	−0.4
Majority			639	15.1	+0.8
Turnout			2,603 (est)	80.6 (est)	+14.8
Registered electors			3,228
	Liberal hold		Swing	+0.1
	Liberal hold		Swing	+0.3

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Reading (2 seats) ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Shaw-Lefevre	1,794	26.1	−12.2
	Liberal	Francis Goldsmid	1,791	26.1	−12.4
	Conservative	Richard Attenborough [29]	1,652	24.1	+12.5
	Conservative	William Dalziel Mackenzie [30]	1,631	23.7	+12.1
Majority			139	2.0	−13.1
Turnout			3,434 (est)	83.4 (est)	+2.8
Registered electors			4,118
	Liberal hold		Swing	−12.3
	Liberal hold		Swing	−12.4

Goldsmid's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 18 May 1878: Reading (1 seat) ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Palmer	2,223	58.7	+6.5
	Conservative	Richard Attenborough	1,565	41.3	−6.5
Majority			658	17.4	+15.4
Turnout			3,788	80.2	−3.2
Registered electors			4,721
	Liberal hold		Swing	+6.5

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Reading (2 seats) ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Palmer	2,513	36.6	+10.5
	Liberal	George Shaw-Lefevre	2,286	33.3	+7.2
	Conservative	Albert George Sandeman [31]	2,067	30.1	−17.7
Majority			219	3.2	+1.2
Turnout			4,580 (est)	89.7 (est)	+6.3
Registered electors			5,107
	Liberal hold		Swing	+9.7
	Liberal hold		Swing	+8.1

Lefevre was appointed First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 15 Dec 1880: Reading (1 seat) ^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Shaw-Lefevre	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

General election 1885: Reading ^[32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Charles Townshend Murdoch	3,518	50.9	+20.8
	Liberal	George Shaw-Lefevre	3,389	49.1	−20.8
Majority			129	1.8	N/A
Turnout			6,907	91.9	+2.2 (est)
Registered electors			7,515
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+20.8

General election 1886: Reading ^[32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Charles Townshend Murdoch	3,378	50.9	0.0
	Liberal	William Berkeley Monck [33]	3,262	49.1	0.0
Majority			116	1.8	0.0
Turnout			6,640	88.4	−3.5
Registered electors			7,515
	Conservative hold		Swing	0.0

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Reading ^[32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Palmer	3,990	51.9	+2.8
	Conservative	Charles Townshend Murdoch	3,700	48.1	−2.8
Majority			290	3.8	N/A
Turnout			7,690	91.1	+2.7
Registered electors			8,438
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+2.8

General election 1895: Reading ^[32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Charles Townshend Murdoch	4,278	52.1	+4.0
	Liberal	George Palmer	3,927	47.9	−4.0
Majority			351	4.2	N/A
Turnout			8,205	90.1	−1.0
Registered electors			9,104
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+4.0

Murdoch's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 25 Jul 1898: Reading ^[32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Palmer	4,600	52.4	+4.5
	Conservative	Charles Edward Keyser	3,906	44.5	−7.6
	Social Democratic Federation	Harry Quelch	270	3.1	New
Majority			694	7.9	N/A
Turnout			8,776	91.7	+1.6
Registered electors			9,573
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+6.1

Elections in the 1900s

Keyser

General election 1900: Reading ^[32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Palmer	4,592	51.3	+3.4
	Conservative	Charles Edward Keyser	4,353	48.7	−3.4
Majority			239	2.6	N/A
Turnout			8,945	88.1	−2.0
Registered electors			10,152
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+3.4

Isaacs

1904 Reading by-election ^[32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rufus Isaacs	4,770	51.2	-0.1
	Conservative	Charles Edward Keyser	4,540	48.8	+0.1
Majority			230	2.4	-0.2
Turnout			9,310	83.5	−4.6
Registered electors			11,151
	Liberal hold		Swing	-0.1

General election 1906: Reading ^[32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rufus Isaacs	5,407	53.4	+2.1
	Conservative	George Horace Johnstone	4,710	46.6	-2.1
Majority			697	6.8	+ +4.2
Turnout			10,117	91.6	+3.5
Registered electors			11,041
	Liberal hold		Swing	+2.1

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Reading ^[32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rufus Isaacs	5,264	51.0	−2.4
	Liberal Unionist	Leslie Renton	5,057	49.0	+2.4
Majority			207	2.0	−4.8
Turnout			10,321	93.7	+2.1
Registered electors			11,016
	Liberal hold		Swing	−2.4

Isaacs is appointed Solicitor General of England and Wales, requiring a by-election.

By-election, March 1910 ^[32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rufus Isaacs	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

General election December 1910: Reading ^[32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rufus Isaacs	5,094	50.5	−0.5
	Conservative	Leslie Orme Wilson	4,995	49.5	+0.5
Majority			99	1.0	−1.0
Turnout			10,089	91.6	−2.1
Registered electors			11,016
	Liberal hold		Swing	−0.5

Issacs is appointed Lord Chief Justice of England and is elevated to the peerage as Lord Reading, requiring a by-election.

1913 Reading by-election ^[32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Leslie Orme Wilson	5,144	50.3	+0.8
	Liberal	George Peabody Gooch	4,013	39.3	−11.2
	British Socialist Party	Joseph George Butler	1,063	10.4	New
Majority			1,131	11.0	N/A
Turnout			10,220	92.2	+0.6
Registered electors			11,088
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+6.0

A General Election was due to take place by the end of 1915. By the summer of 1914, the following candidates had been adopted to contest that election. Due to the outbreak of war, the election never took place.

• Unionist Party: Leslie Orme Wilson
• Liberal Party: Henry Norman Spalding ^[34]
• British Socialist Party: Joseph George Butler ^[35]

General election 14 December 1918: Reading

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
C	Unionist	Leslie Orme Wilson	15,204	53.9	+4.4
	Labour	Thomas Charles Morris	8,410	29.8	New
	Liberal	Frederick Thoresby	3,143	11.1	−39.4
	National Socialist Party	Lorenzo Quelch	1,462	5.2	New
Majority			6,794	24.1	N/A
Turnout			28,219	62.2	−29.4
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing	+21.9
Cindicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

H.D. Roome

General election 1922: Reading ^[36]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Edward Cadogan	16,082	42.7	-11.2
	Labour	Derwent Hall Caine	14,322	38.1	+8.3
	Liberal	Henry Delacombe Roome	7,212	19.2	+8.1
Majority			1,760	4.6	-19.5
Turnout			37,616
	Unionist hold		Swing

General election 1923: Reading ^[36]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Somerville Hastings	16,657	44.8	+6.7
	Unionist	Edward Cadogan	15,115	40.7	-2.0
	Liberal	Frederick Maddison	5,406	14.5	-4.7
Majority			1,542	4.1	N/A
Turnout			37,178	82.1
	Labour gain from Unionist		Swing	+4.3

General election 1924: Reading ^[36]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Herbert Williams	21,338	53.8	+13.1
	Labour	Somerville Hastings	18,337	46.2	+1.4
Majority			3,001	7.6	N/A
Turnout			39,675	85.8	+3.7
	Unionist gain from Labour		Swing

General election 1929: Reading ^[36]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Somerville Hastings	23,281	43.5	-2.7
	Unionist	Herbert Williams	22,429	42.0	-11.8
	Liberal	Dugald Macfadyen	7,733	14.5	New
Majority			852	1.5	N/A
Turnout			53,443	85.0	-0.8
	Labour gain from Unionist		Swing	+4.5

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Reading ^[36] Electorate 65,009

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alfred Howitt	34,439	63.1	+21.1
	Labour	Somerville Hastings	19,277	35.3	-8.2
	New Party	ER Troward	861	1.6	New
Majority			15,162	27.8	N/A
Turnout			54,577	83.9	-1.1
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

• The Liberal Party candidate, Rosalie Glynn Grylls withdrew at close of nominations

General election 1935: Reading ^[36] Electorate 67,181

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alfred Howitt	27,540	51.8	-9.3
	Labour	Somerville Hastings	22,949	43.2	+7.9
	Liberal	John William Todd	2,685	5.0	New
Majority			4,591	8.6	-19.2
Turnout			53,174	79.1	-4.8
	Conservative hold		Swing

General Election 1939–40: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the Autumn of 1939, the following candidates had been selected;

• Conservative: Alfred Howitt
• Labour: Margaret Bondfield ^[37]

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Reading ^[36]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Ian Mikardo	30,465	48.8	+5.6
	Conservative	William Ewart Clarke McIlroy	24,075	38.6	-13.2
	Liberal	Robert Nevill Tronchin James	7,834	12.6	+7.6
Majority			6,390	10.2	N/A
Turnout			62,374	73.5	-5.6
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1955: Reading ^[38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Ian Mikardo	25,228	50.24
	Conservative	Frederic Bennett	24,990	49.76
Majority			238	0.48
Turnout			50,218	84.15
Registered electors			59,678
	Labour win (new seat)

General election 1959: Reading ^[39]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Peter Emery	26,314	54.05	+4.29
	Labour	Ian Mikardo	22,372	45.95	-4.29
Majority			3,942	8.10	N/A
Turnout			48,686	82.84	-1.31
Registered electors			58,772
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	+4.29

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Reading ^[40]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Peter Emery	20,815	43.93	-10.12
	Labour	John Lee	20,805	43.91	-2.04
	Liberal	Michael F Burns	5,759	12.16	New
Majority			10	0.02	-8.08
Turnout			47,379	79.80	-3.04
Registered electors			59,371
	Conservative hold		Swing	-4.04

General election 1966: Reading ^[41]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Lee	25,338	51.01	+7.10
	Conservative	Peter Emery	21,205	42.69	-1.24
	Liberal	Ernest H Palfrey	3,127	6.30	-5.86
Majority			4,133	8.32	N/A
Turnout			49,670	84.00	+4.20
Registered electors			59,132
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+4.17

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Reading ^[42]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Gerard Vaughan	23,598	50.31	+7.62
	Labour	John Lee	22,444	47.85	-3.16
	Democratic Party	Alec Boothroyd	867	1.85	New
Majority			1,154	2.46	N/A
Turnout			46,909	74.04	-9.96
Registered electors			63,359
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	+5.39

References

General

• J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 – England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
• Edward Porritt and Annie G Porritt, The Unreformed House of Commons (Cambridge University Press, 1903)
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 1)

Specific

1. Page 198, Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition – London: St Martin's Press, 1957)
2. "Chap. 23. Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885". The Public General Acts of the United Kingdom passed in the forty-eighth and forty-ninth years of the reign of Queen Victoria. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode. 1885. pp. 111–198.
3. "HMSO Boundary Commission Report 1885, Reading".
4. Craig, Frederick Walter Scott (1972). Boundaries of parliamentary constituencies 1885-1972. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. ISBN   0900178094. OCLC   539011.
5. "CATOUR, William (d.1395), of Reading, Berks. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org.
6. "HACCHE, David atte, of Reading, Berks. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org.
7. "DOUBLET, John (d.c.1407), of Reading, Berks. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org.
8. "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
9. "PORTER, alias KENT, Simon, of Reading, Berks. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org.
10. "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
11. "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
12. In place of Edward Herbert and Sir John Berkeley, elected for Old Sarum and Heytesbury
13. Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. Craig, Frederick Walter Scott (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp.  8–9. ISBN   0-900178-13-2.
14. Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. p. 174.
15. Mosse, Richard Bartholomew (1838). The Parliamentary Guide: a concise history of the Members of both Houses, etc. p. 201.
16. Hall, Edith (2015). "Making it Really New: Dickens versus the Classics". In Stead, Henry; Hall, Edith (eds.). Greek and Roman Classics in the British Struggle for Social Reform. Bloomsbury. p. 148. ISBN   9781472584274 . Retrieved 30 June 2018.
17. Richards, Jeffrey (2009). The Ancient World on the Victorian and Edwardian Stage (eBook). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 36. doi:10.1057/9780230250895. ISBN   978-0-230-25089-5 . Retrieved 30 June 2018.
18. Gregory, James (2012). Victorians Against the Gallows: Capital Punishment and the Abolitionist Movement in Nineteenth Century Britain. London: I.B. Tauris. p. 200. ISBN   978-18488-56943 . Retrieved 30 June 2018.
19. "The Berkshire Chronicle" . 10 July 1852. p. 4. Retrieved 30 June 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
20. Fisher, David R. "Reading". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
21. Craig, Frederick Walter Scott, ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN   978-1-349-02349-3.
22. "The Nomination" . Windsor and Eton Express. 11 August 1849. p. 3. Retrieved 29 November 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
23. "John Bull" . 13 August 1849. p. 4. Retrieved 29 November 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
24. "Country News, Reading Election" . Illustrated London News. 11 August 1849. p. 30. Retrieved 29 November 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
25. "Hull Election" . Hull Advertiser and Exchange Gazette. 12 August 1854. p. 6. Retrieved 30 June 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
26. "Reading Election" . Berkshire Chronicle . 14 January 1860. p. 4. Retrieved 16 March 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
27. "To the Conservative Electors of the Borough of Reading" . Berkshire Chronicle . 17 November 1860. p. 1. Retrieved 16 March 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
28. "Reading Borough Election" . Berkshire Chronicle . 15 July 1865. p. 6. Retrieved 16 March 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
29. "The General Election" . London Evening Standard . 31 January 1874. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 18 January 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
30. "To the Electors of the Borough of Reading" . Berkshire Chronicle . 31 January 1874. p. 4. Retrieved 18 January 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
31. "The Representation of Reading" . Reading Mercury. 1 March 1884. p. 5. Retrieved 10 December 2017– via British Newspaper Archive.
32. Craig, Frederick Walter Scott, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN   9781349022984.
33. "Election Notices" . Reading Mercury. 26 June 1886. p. 6. Retrieved 10 December 2017– via British Newspaper Archive.
34. Who's Who
35. "British Socialist Party". Manchester Guardian. 13 April 1914.
36. Craig, Frederick Walter Scott (editor), British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949
37. Report of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party, 1939
38. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results May 1955". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
39. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1959". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
40. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1964". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
41. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1966". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
42. Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1970". Political Science Resources. Retrieved 12 April 2016.

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Berkshire