Reading West (UK Parliament constituency)

Reading West
County constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Reading West in Berkshire
Location of Berkshire within England
County	Berkshire
Electorate	73,006 (2018) [1]
Major settlements	Reading, Theale and Tilehurst
Current constituency
Created	1983
Member of Parliament	Alok Sharma (Conservative)
Seats	One
Created from	Reading North, Newbury and Reading South [2]

Reading West is a constituency ^{[n 1]} represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Alok Sharma, a Conservative. ^{[n 2]}

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat will be abolished. Voters will be transferred to the new constituencies of Earley and Woodley (Whitley ward), Reading Central (Battle, Minster and Southcote wards), and Reading West and Mid Berkshire (all other wards). These constituencies will be first contested at the next general election. ^{[n 3] [3] [4] [5]}

Constituency profile

Since its 1983 creation the constituency has been a bellwether paradigm example of a marginal seat. Boundary changes for the 2010 election took in areas of population expansion to the east in new largely private sector housing estates. Unemployment is close to the regional average, which is lower than the national average ^[6] and the constituency has seen a marked increase in properties and property prices throughout the 2001 to 2011 period which saw town centre regeneration and investment by a Labour Party-controlled council enhanced by Reading railway station hub improvements and enterprise areas equally.

History

The Reading West parliamentary constituency was first contested in 1983, when it was won by a member of the Conservative Party, Tony Durant, the sitting MP for the abolished Reading North constituency. He held the seat through two subsequent general elections until he retired at the 1997 election.

The constituency was then won by Martin Salter for Labour, as part of the landslide that brought Labour back to power under Tony Blair. Salter held the seat through the 13 years of Labour government until Parliament was dissolved in April 2010, but did not stand in the 2010 general election, when Alok Sharma won the seat for the Conservatives.

Sharma has held several posts within government, including serving in the Cabinet as the President for COP26 from January 2021 until October 2022.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1983–1997

• The Borough of Reading wards of Battle, Katesgrove, Kentwood, Minster, Norcot, Southcote, and Tilehurst; and
• The District of Newbury wards of Calcot, Pangbourne, Purley, Theale, and Tilehurst. ^[7]

Formed as a county constituency, largely from parts of the abolished constituency of Reading North. Extended westwards to include parts of Newbury.

1997–2010

• The Borough of Reading wards of Battle, Kentwood, Minster, Norcot, Southcote, Tilehurst, and Whitley; and
• The District of Newbury wards of Calcot, Pangbourne, Purley, Theale, and Tilehurst. ^[8]

The boundary with Reading East was realigned, gaining Whitley ward and losing Katesgrove ward.

2010–present

Map of current boundaries

• The Borough of Reading wards of Battle, Kentwood, Minster, Norcot, Southcote, Tilehurst, and Whitley; and
• The District of West Berkshire wards of Birch Copse, Calcot, Pangbourne, Purley on Thames, Theale, and Westwood. ^[9]

Marginal changes due to revision of local authority wards.

The constituency is bordered by the seats of Newbury, Henley, Reading East, and Wokingham. ^[10]

Members of Parliament

Election	Member [11]	Party
1983	Tony Durant		Conservative
1997	Martin Salter		Labour
2010	Alok Sharma		Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Reading West ^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alok Sharma	24,393	48.4	–0.5
	Labour Co-op	Rachel Eden	20,276	40.2	–3.1
	Liberal Democrats	Meri O'Connell	4,460	8.9	+3.0
	Green	Jamie Whitham	1,263	2.5	+0.6
Majority			4,117	8.2	+2.6
Turnout			50,392	67.9	-1.6
	Conservative hold		Swing	+1.3

General election 2017: Reading West ^{[13] [14]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alok Sharma	25,311	48.9	+1.2
	Labour	Olivia Bailey	22,435	43.3	+9.3
	Liberal Democrats	Meri O’Connell	3,041	5.9	+1.0
	Green	Jamie Whitham	979	1.9	−1.0
Majority			2,876	5.6	−8.1
Turnout			51,766	69.5	+2.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	–4.1

General election 2015: Reading West ^{[15] [16] [17]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alok Sharma	23,082	47.7	+4.5
	Labour	Victoria Groulef	16,432	34.0	+3.5
	UKIP	Malik Azam [18]	4,826	10.0	+6.8
	Liberal Democrats	Meri O'Connell	2,355	4.9	−15.2
	Green	Miriam Kennet	1,406	2.9	+1.7
	Independent	Suzie Ferguson	156	0.3	New
	TUSC	Neil Adams	83	0.2	New
	Roman	Philip West	64	0.1	New
Majority			6,650	13.7	+1.0
Turnout			48,404	66.7	+0.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	+0.5

General election 2010: Reading West ^{[19] [20] [21]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alok Sharma	20,523	43.2	+9.6
	Labour	Naz Sarkar	14,519	30.5	−14.5
	Liberal Democrats	Daisy Benson	9,546	20.1	+4.3
	UKIP	Bruce Hay	1,508	3.2	+0.4
	Common Sense	Howard Thomas	852	1.8	New
	Green	Adrian Windisch	582	1.2	−1.0
Majority			6,004	12.7	N/A
Turnout			47,530	65.9	+6.0
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing	+12.1

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Reading West ^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Martin Salter	18,940	44.9	−8.2
	Conservative	Ewan Cameron	14,258	33.8	+1.8
	Liberal Democrats	Denise Gaines	6,663	15.8	+3.0
	UKIP	Peter Williams	1,180	2.8	+0.8
	Green	Adrian Windisch	921	2.2	New
	Veritas	Dave Boyle	267	0.6	New
Majority			4,672	11.1	−10.0
Turnout			42,229	61.0	+1.9
	Labour hold		Swing	−2.6

General election 2001: Reading West ^{[23] [24]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Martin Salter	22,300	53.1	+8.0
	Conservative	Stephen Reid	13,451	32.0	−6.9
	Liberal Democrats	Polly Martin	5,387	12.8	+0.1
	UKIP	David Black	848	2.0	+1.5
Majority			8,849	21.1	+14.9
Turnout			41,986	59.1	−11.0
	Labour hold		Swing	+7.5

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Reading West ^{[25] [24]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Martin Salter	21,841	45.1	+17.3
	Conservative	Nicholas Bennett	18,844	38.9	−14.0
	Liberal Democrats	Dee Tomlin	6,153	12.7	−5.4
	Referendum	Steven G Brown	976	2.0	New
	BNP	Ian Dell	320	0.7	New
	UKIP	David M Black	255	0.5	New
Majority			2,997	6.2	N/A
Turnout			48,389	70.1	−7.9
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	−15.7

General election 1992: Reading West ^{[26] [27]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tony Durant	28,048	52.9	−2.4
	Labour	PM Ruhemann	14,750	27.8	+6.4
	Liberal Democrats	KH Lock	9,572	18.1	−4.3
	Green	PJ Unsworth	613	1.2	+0.1
Majority			13,298	25.1	−7.8
Turnout			52,983	78.0	+5.8
	Conservative hold		Swing	−4.5

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Reading West ^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tony Durant	28,122	55.3	+3.9
	Liberal	Keith Lock	11,369	22.4	−5.5
	Labour	Michael Orton	10,819	21.3	+0.9
	Green	EP Wilson	542	1.1	New
Majority			16,753	32.9	+9.4
Turnout			50,852	72.2	−1.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	+4.7

General election 1983: Reading West ^[29]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Tony Durant	24,948	51.4
	Liberal	James Day	13,549	27.9
	Labour	Richard Evans	9,220	20.4
	Independent	E Lilley	161	0.3
Majority			11,399	23.5
Turnout			47,878	73.5
	Conservative win (new seat)

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Berkshire

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.
3. For the purposes of this definition, the Electoral Commission appears to have used the borough ward names and definitions as existed prior to 2022 rather than the current names and definitions.

References

1. "England Parliamentary electorates 2010-2018". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
2. "'Reading West', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 13 March 2016.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
3. "South East | Boundary Commission for England". Boundary Commission for England . Retrieved 20 June 2023.
4. "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South East". Boundary Commission for England. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
5. "Initial proposals for new Parliamentary constituency boundaries in the South East region". Boundary Commission for England. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
6. Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
7. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
8. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
9. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
10. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
11. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 1)
12. "Reading West Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
13. "Reading Borough Council statement of persons nominated 2017" (PDF).
14. "Reading Borough Council". www.reading.gov.uk.
15. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
16. Fort, Linda (9 December 2014). "Reading West has new independent General Election candidate".
17. "Parliamentary results 2015". Reading Borough Council. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
18. "UK Polling Report". ukpollingreport.co.uk.
19. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
20. "Statement of Persons Nominated – Notice of Poll – Reading West Constituency" (PDF). Reading Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
21. "Election 2010 – Reading West". BBC. 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
22. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
23. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
24. "Ask Aristotle – Reading West". London: Guardian Unlimited. 2005. Archived from the original on 11 April 2005. Retrieved 4 May 2005.
25. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
26. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
27. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
28. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
29. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

51°28′N0°59′W / 51.46°N 0.99°W / 51.46; -0.99