Reading East (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Reading East
Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
ReadingEast2007Constituency.svg
Boundary of Reading East in Berkshire
Berkshire in England 2023-04-01.svg
Location of Berkshire within England
County Berkshire
Electorate 72,647 (2018) [1]
Major settlements Reading
19832024
SeatsOne
Created from Reading North, Reading South and Henley [2]
Replaced by Earley and Woodley, Reading Central

Reading East was a constituency [n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. [n 2] In the 2019-2024 Parliament, it was one of two Labour seats from a total of eight seats in Berkshire.

Contents

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished. The area was transferred to the new constituencies of Earley and Woodley (Bulmershe and Whitegates, Church, Loddon and South Lake wards) and Reading Central (all other wards). These constituencies were first contested at the 2024 general election. [3] [4] [5]

Constituency profile

The seat contained the University of Reading and most of its students. The Thames Valley Business Park is in another part of the seat, hosting multinational and cutting-edge technology companies in the software and advanced computer science areas. Adjoining the redeveloped heart of town are a handful mid-rise blocks of ex-council flats and serried ranks of former relatively philanthropic biscuit, brick and seeds manufacturing/processing workers' neat terraces towards the south-centre and east of the town, including firmly Labour-held wards. The suburban north bank of the Thames section takes in Caversham, forming four wards, whilst Earley and Woodley, adding a further three wards, make up strongly-leaning Conservative wards. Intermediate wards such as Redlands and Park are more marginal including Green Party and Liberal Democrat representation.

History

The Reading East parliamentary constituency was first contested in 1983, when it was won by a partial incumbent, Gerry Vaughan, a Conservative who was before that election sitting MP for abolished Reading South. He held the seat through two general elections until he retired before the 1997 election. The constituency was won in 1997 by the Labour Party's Jane Griffiths, thus a backbencher under the Blair Ministry. She retained the seat in the 2001 election but was deselected by her Constituency Labour Party before the 2005 election, when the seat was won by the Tory candidate, Rob Wilson, who held the seat through two elections. Until 2005 the seat had been a national bellwether. [ citation needed ]

Graph of election results for Reading East, 1983-2017 Readingeast.svg
Graph of election results for Reading East, 1983-2017

The seat was regained by the Labour Party's candidate in 2017, Matt Rodda, achieving the party's best showing since the seat's creation. Rodda's 2017 win was one of 30 net gains of the Labour Party. The 2017 result came when there was a hung parliament nationally. Reading East was one of five constituencies, the others being Croydon Central, Enfield Southgate, Leeds North West and Peterborough, which elected Labour MPs in 2017 having not done so since 2001.

At the 2019 general election, the seat was retained by Rodda with an increased majority, achieving a swing to Labour of 1.9%, and bucking the national trend which saw an overall swing to the Conservatives of 4.6%.

The seat has been, relative to others, a semi-marginal seat, and major-swing (volatile) seat since 2010. Its winner's majority has not exceeded 12.9% of the vote since the 15.2% majority won in that year. The seat has changed hands once since 2010.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1983–1997

Formed as a county constituency, largely from parts of the abolished constituency of Reading South. It also incorporated parts of the abolished constituency of Reading North, including Caversham.

1997–2010

For the 1997 general election, the constituency lost its southern areas comprising the parts of the District of Wokingham to Wokingham (including Shinfield) and Bracknell (Finchampstead), but gained other parts of Wokingham to the east of the Reading. The boundary with Reading West was realigned, gaining Katesgrove ward and losing Whitley ward. It was redesignated as a Borough Constituency.

2010–2024

Reading East (UK Parliament constituency)
Map of boundaries 2010-2024

Marginal changes due to revision of local authority wards.

Reading East was bordered by the constituencies of Reading West, Henley, Maidenhead, and Wokingham. [9]

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember [10] Party
1983 Gerard Vaughan Conservative
1997 Jane Griffiths Labour
2005 Rob Wilson Conservative
2017 Matt Rodda Labour

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Reading East [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Matt Rodda 27,102 48.5 −0.5
Conservative Craig Morley21,17837.9−4.4
Liberal Democrats Imogen Shepherd-DuBey5,0359.0+2.9
Green David McElroy1,5492.8+0.8
Brexit Party Mitchell Feierstein 8521.5New
CPA Yemi Awolola2020.4New
Majority5,92410.6+3.9
Turnout 55,91872.6−0.5
Labour hold Swing +1.9
General election 2017: Reading East [12] [13] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Matt Rodda 27,093 49.0 +15.9
Conservative Rob Wilson 23,34442.3−3.7
Liberal Democrats Jenny Woods3,3786.1−1.3
Green Kizzi Johannessen1,0932.0−4.4
Independent Michael Turberville1880.3New
Movement for Active Democracy Andy Kirkwood1420.0New
Majority3,7496.7N/A
Turnout 55,37073.1+3.1
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +9.9
General election 2015: Reading East [15] [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Rob Wilson 23,217 46.0 +3.4
Labour Matt Rodda 16,69733.1+7.6
Liberal Democrats Jenny Woods3,7197.4−19.9
UKIP Christine Forrester [17] 3,6477.2+5.0
Green Rob White3,2146.4+4.3
Majority6,52012.9−2.3
Turnout 50,49469.0+2.3
Conservative hold Swing −2.1
General election 2010: Reading East [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Rob Wilson 21,269 42.6 +6.9
Liberal Democrats Gareth Epps13,66427.3+3.1
Labour Anneliese Dodds 12,72925.5−8.5
UKIP Adrian Pitfield1,0862.2+0.2
Green Rob White1,0692.1−1.4
Independent Joan Lloyd1110.2New
Independent Michael Turberville570.1New
Majority7,60515.3−2.1
Turnout 49,98566.7+8.2
Conservative hold Swing +2.0

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Reading East [19] [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Rob Wilson 15,557 35.4 +3.4
Labour Tony Page15,08234.3−10.5
Liberal Democrats John Howson10,61924.2+5.7
Green Rob White1,5483.5+1.1
UKIP David Lamb8491.9+0.7
Independent Joan Lloyd1350.3New
Independent Rex Hora1220.3New
Majority4751.1N/A
Turnout 43,91260.3+1.9
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +7.0
General election 2001: Reading East [21] [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jane Griffiths 19,538 44.8 +2.1
Conservative Barry Tanswell13,94332.0−3.2
Liberal Democrats Thomas Dobrashian8,07818.50.0
Green Miriam Kennet1,0532.4New
UKIP Amy Thornton5251.2+0.7
Socialist Alliance Darren Williams3940.9New
Independent Peter Hammerson940.2New
Majority5,59512.8+5.3
Turnout 43,62558.4−11.8
Labour hold Swing −2.7

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Reading East [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jane Griffiths 21,461 42.7 +13.8
Conservative John Watts 17,66635.2−13.9
Liberal Democrats Sam Samuel9,30718.5−1.9
Referendum David Harmer1,0422.1New
Natural Law John Buckley2540.5New
UKIP A L Thornton2520.5New
BNP Barbara Packer2380.5New
Majority3,7957.5N/A
Turnout 50,22070.2−4.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +17.2
General election 1992: Reading East [24] [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Gerard Vaughan 29,148 53.8 0.0
Labour Gillian Parker14,59327.0+5.5
Liberal Democrats Denis Thair9,52817.6−5.6
Green A McCubbin8611.6+0.3
Majority14,55526.8−3.8
Turnout 54,13075.0+1.7
Conservative hold Swing −2.8

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Reading East [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Gerard Vaughan 28,515 53.8 +2.2
Alliance (SDP)Susan Baring12,29823.2−4.2
Labour Martin Salter 11,37121.5+2.1
Green Philip Unsworth6671.3+0.2
CSOSMGArthur Shone1250.2New
Majority16,21730.6+6.4
Turnout 52,97673.3+2.9
Conservative hold Swing +3.2
General election 1983: Reading East [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Gerard Vaughan 24,516 51.6
Alliance (SDP) Chris Huhne 13,00827.4
Labour Kevin Boyle9,21819.4
Ecology Geoffrey Darnton5191.1
BNP P. Baker1470.3
Common Market PartyB. Shone1130.2
Majority11,50824.2
Turnout 47,51270.4
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

Notes

  1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

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References

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