← Reading (all cycles) · 7 May 2026 cohort

Reading 2026

Local elections held 7 May 2026.

16 ward races

17 seats

14 elected below the proportional quota

82.4% of seats below quota

How to read this page

Each race below shows the share of valid ballots the marginal elected candidate actually won, and compares it to the proportional quota: the share they'd need to clinch the seat under any proportional voting method (1 seats + 1). For a 1-seat ward the quota is 50%; for 2 seats, 33.3%; for 3 seats, 25%.

Where the actual winning share fell below the quota, we show the signed gap as points below quota (a negative number) — the editorial indictment. Above-quota results clear the bar and pass without comment. The voting method is the subject of every observation here. Named candidates appear as the public election record requires; the cause being audited is the voting method, not the individuals. See the methodology page for derivations.

If votes were counted by party

Across the 16 wards in this cycle, parties received the vote totals below. The proportional column shows what each party would have won if the 17 seats had been shared out in proportion to votes received (how, with caveats). The Δ column is the actual seat count minus the proportional seat count — positive numbers are parties First-Past-the-Post over-represented; negative are parties it under-represented.

Party	Votes	Vote %	Seats won	% of seats	Proportional seats	Proportional %	Δ
Labour Party	15,300	29.2%	7	41.2%	5	29.4%	+2
Green Party	15,113	28.8%	6	35.3%	5	29.4%	+1
Conservative Party	9,179	17.5%	3	17.6%	3	17.6%	0
Reform UK	8,592	16.4%	0	0.0%	3	17.6%	-3
Liberal Democrats	4,158	7.9%	1	5.9%	1	5.9%	0
The Liberal Party	51	0.1%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Social Democratic Party	29	0.1%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Independent	27	0.1%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition	25	0.0%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Total	52,474	100.0%	17	100.0%	17	100.0%	0

Vote share vs seats won

The top bar is each party's share of votes cast in this council. Below, one square per seat, coloured by the party that won it — first the actual First-Past-the-Post result, then what a proportional method would have produced from the same vote totals. Divergence between the bar and the actual grid is the indictment of the method.

Vote share

Actual seats

Proportional seats

Council composition: what this election replaced

Two opencouncildata snapshots: the council immediately after the 2026 election (current) and immediately before it (2025). Only ~⅓ of seats were contested in 2026 — most of the bench is unchanged, and the cycle's effect on the overall composition is what shifts.

Current (2026)

Previous (2025)

Wards in this council

Sorted with the largest gap below the quota first. Click any ward to jump to its full result.

Emmer Green · 1 seat · won at 27.8% · −22.2 pts below quota
Caversham Heights · 2 seats · won at 14.1% · −19.3 pts below quota
Kentwood · 1 seat · won at 32.4% · −17.6 pts below quota
Coley · 1 seat · won at 33.4% · −16.6 pts below quota
Whitley · 1 seat · won at 34.6% · −15.4 pts below quota
Norcot · 1 seat · won at 35.4% · −14.6 pts below quota
Southcote · 1 seat · won at 36.0% · −14.0 pts below quota
Abbey · 1 seat · won at 37.6% · −12.4 pts below quota
Caversham · 1 seat · won at 38.4% · −11.6 pts below quota
Tilehurst · 1 seat · won at 38.4% · −11.6 pts below quota
Thames · 1 seat · won at 39.1% · −10.9 pts below quota
Church · 1 seat · won at 39.6% · −10.4 pts below quota
Battle · 1 seat · won at 41.6% · −8.4 pts below quota
Katesgrove · 1 seat · won at 50.8% · above quota
Redlands · 1 seat · won at 54.8% · above quota
Park · 1 seat · won at 65.2% · above quota

Race results

Emmer Green · single-seat

Marginal winner 27.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −22.2 pts Valid ballots 4,111

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Alex Smith	Conservative Party	1,143	27.8%	−22.2 pts	Elected
2	Hannah Conibear	Green Party	1,103	26.8%	—
3	Clarence Mitchell	Reform UK	805	19.6%	—
4	Ollie White	Labour Party	770	18.7%	—
5	Nishikant Gupta	Liberal Democrats	290	7.1%	—

Electorate 7,835 · Ballots cast 4,117 · Invalid 6 · EC ward code local.reading.emmer-green.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Caversham Heights · 2-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 14.1% Proportional quota 33.3% Below quota −19.3 pts Valid ballots 8,654

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Isobel Ballsdon	Conservative Party	1,900	22.0%	−11.4 pts	Elected
2	Saadia Saadat	Conservative Party	1,218	14.1%	−19.3 pts	Elected
3	Richard Martin Stainthorp	Labour Party	1,088	12.6%	—
4	Jo Musominari	Labour Party	1,058	12.2%	—
5	Danny McNamara	Green Party	866	10.0%	—
6	Adil Khan	Green Party	761	8.8%	—
7	James Robert Stothard	Reform UK	580	6.7%	—
8	Ilayda Molloy	Reform UK	496	5.7%	—
9	Jo Ramsay	Liberal Democrats	416	4.8%	—
10	Vania Costa-Krol	Liberal Democrats	271	3.1%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 8,654 · EC ward code local.reading.caversham-heights.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Kentwood · single-seat

Marginal winner 32.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −17.6 pts Valid ballots 3,128

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Glenn Anthony Dennis	Labour Party	1,014	32.4%	−17.6 pts	Elected
2	David Milne-Buckley	Conservative Party	775	24.8%	—
3	Stephen Daniel Ruston	Reform UK	736	23.5%	—
4	Tim Liddle	Green Party	476	15.2%	—
5	Jibril Leite Al-Nabahani	Liberal Democrats	127	4.1%	—

Electorate 6,720 · Ballots cast 3,134 · Invalid 6 · EC ward code local.reading.kentwood.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Coley · single-seat

Marginal winner 33.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −16.6 pts Valid ballots 2,915

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Richard Walkem	Green Party	973	33.4%	−16.6 pts	Elected
2	Ellie Emberson	Labour Party	964	33.1%	—
3	Petru Mereacre	Reform UK	445	15.3%	—
4	John David Angus	Conservative Party	367	12.6%	—
5	Christopher Ward	Liberal Democrats	166	5.7%	—

Electorate 7,008 · Ballots cast 2,929 · Invalid 14 · EC ward code local.reading.coley.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Whitley · single-seat

Marginal winner 34.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −15.4 pts Valid ballots 2,658

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Rachel Claire Eden	Labour Party	919	34.6%	−15.4 pts	Elected
2	Richie Sahni	Reform UK	612	23.0%	—
3	Vani Goel	Conservative Party	473	17.8%	—
4	Kathy Smith	Green Party	449	16.9%	—
5	Pieter De Boiserie	Liberal Democrats	205	7.7%	—

Electorate 8,346 · Ballots cast 2,667 · Invalid 9 · EC ward code local.reading.whitley.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Norcot · single-seat

Marginal winner 35.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −14.6 pts Valid ballots 2,731

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Alison Foster	Labour Party	967	35.4%	−14.6 pts	Elected
2	Oliver Ross Maunder	Reform UK	641	23.5%	—
3	Isobel Claire Hoskins	Green Party	558	20.4%	—
4	Kes Williams	Conservative Party	293	10.7%	—
5	Brandon Masih	Liberal Democrats	221	8.1%	—
6	Stephen Anthony Graham	The Liberal Party	51	1.9%	—

Electorate 7,598 · Ballots cast 2,744 · Invalid 13 · EC ward code local.reading.norcot.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Southcote · single-seat

Marginal winner 36.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −14.0 pts Valid ballots 2,865

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Ulrike Magyarosy	Labour Party	1,032	36.0%	−14.0 pts	Elected
2	Bev Heslin	Reform UK	623	21.7%	—
3	Rosemary Anne Croft	Green Party	614	21.4%	—
4	Grace Holly Blackmore	Conservative Party	408	14.2%	—
5	Benjamin Francis Sims	Liberal Democrats	188	6.6%	—

Electorate 7,741 · Ballots cast 2,875 · Invalid 10 · EC ward code local.reading.southcote.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Abbey · single-seat

Marginal winner 37.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −12.4 pts Valid ballots 2,104

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Jacqueline Dominguez	Green Party	792	37.6%	−12.4 pts	Elected
2	Karen Jean Rowland	Labour Party	683	32.5%	—
3	Robert Dalton	Conservative Party	279	13.3%	—
4	Paul Newton	Reform UK	202	9.6%	—
5	Henry David Wright	Liberal Democrats	139	6.6%	—
6	James William Morgan	Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition	9	0.4%	—

Electorate 6,512 · Ballots cast 2,109 · Invalid 5 · EC ward code local.reading.abbey.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Caversham · single-seat

Marginal winner 38.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −11.6 pts Valid ballots 3,748

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Jacopo Lanzoni	Labour Party	1,438	38.4%	−11.6 pts	Elected
2	Sam Wild	Green Party	920	24.5%	—
3	Jeff Lewis	Reform UK	600	16.0%	—
4	Andrew James Ballsdon	Conservative Party	549	14.6%	—
5	Anthony Martin Spencer	Liberal Democrats	225	6.0%	—
6	Bill Runacre	Social Democratic Party	16	0.4%	—

Electorate 7,608 · Ballots cast 3,760 · Invalid 12 · EC ward code local.reading.caversham.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Tilehurst · single-seat

Marginal winner 38.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −11.6 pts Valid ballots 2,977

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Meri O'Connell	Liberal Democrats	1,144	38.4%	−11.6 pts	Elected
2	Steven David Low	Reform UK	763	25.6%	—
3	Caroline Susan Basden	Labour Party	439	14.7%	—
4	Caroline Hearst	Green Party	343	11.5%	—
5	Raihana Rahimi	Conservative Party	288	9.7%	—

Electorate 7,235 · Ballots cast 2,986 · Invalid 9 · EC ward code local.reading.tilehurst.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Thames · single-seat

Marginal winner 39.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −10.9 pts Valid ballots 2,636

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	David Graham Clarke	Green Party	1,031	39.1%	−10.9 pts	Elected
2	Adele Barnett-Ward	Labour Party	750	28.5%	—
3	Alexander Kelly	Reform UK	351	13.3%	—
4	Jaykumar Sanatbhai Patel	Conservative Party	308	11.7%	—
5	Christopher Simon Burden	Liberal Democrats	183	6.9%	—
6	James Halls	Social Democratic Party	13	0.5%	—

Electorate 6,226 · Ballots cast 2,640 · Invalid 4 · EC ward code local.reading.thames.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Church · single-seat

Marginal winner 39.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −10.4 pts Valid ballots 2,768

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Ruth McEwan	Labour Party	1,095	39.6%	−10.4 pts	Elected
2	Matthew Reynolds	Reform UK	680	24.6%	—
3	Jamie Whitham	Green Party	468	16.9%	—
4	Adam Phelps	Conservative Party	362	13.1%	—
5	Mark Clifford Cole	Liberal Democrats	163	5.9%	—

Electorate 8,174 · Ballots cast 2,779 · Invalid 11 · EC ward code local.reading.church.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Battle · single-seat

Marginal winner 41.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −8.4 pts Valid ballots 2,838

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Pratikshya Gurung	Labour Party	1,180	41.6%	−8.4 pts	Elected
2	Zoe Elena Mann	Green Party	998	35.2%	—
3	Diana Alphonsine Stephanie Whitehouse	Reform UK	335	11.8%	—
4	Ben Blackmore	Conservative Party	207	7.3%	—
5	John Berkeley Grout	Liberal Democrats	118	4.2%	—

Electorate 7,470 · Ballots cast 2,850 · Invalid 12 · EC ward code local.reading.battle.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Katesgrove · single-seat

Marginal winner 50.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +0.8 pts Valid ballots 2,640

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Louise Kaye Keane	Green Party	1,340	50.8%	+0.8 pts	Elected
2	Richard Wong	Labour Party	604	22.9%	—
3	Matthew Callow	Conservative Party	281	10.6%	—
4	Prabhdeep Singh	Reform UK	279	10.6%	—
5	Sarah Lucy Dobson	Liberal Democrats	109	4.1%	—
6	Jean Louis Pascual	Independent	27	1.0%	—

Electorate 7,591 · Ballots cast 2,652 · Invalid 12 · EC ward code local.reading.katesgrove.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Redlands · single-seat

Marginal winner 54.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +4.8 pts Valid ballots 2,828

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Kathryn Elizabeth McCann	Green Party	1,549	54.8%	+4.8 pts	Elected
2	Roy Rangarirai	Labour Party	708	25.0%	—
3	Darren Christopher Seward	Reform UK	254	9.0%	—
4	Abdoulaye Sow	Conservative Party	179	6.3%	—
5	Christopher James Wilson	Liberal Democrats	122	4.3%	—
6	Melanie Dent	Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition	16	0.6%	—

Electorate 7,065 · Ballots cast 2,838 · Invalid 10 · EC ward code local.reading.redlands.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Park · single-seat

Marginal winner 65.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +15.2 pts Valid ballots 2,873

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Rob White	Green Party	1,872	65.2%	+15.2 pts	Elected
2	James Anthony Cuggy	Labour Party	591	20.6%	—
3	Stephen Richard Ham	Reform UK	190	6.6%	—
4	Kris Lund	Conservative Party	149	5.2%	—
5	Jassien Adel Sabri	Liberal Democrats	71	2.5%	—

Electorate 6,741 · Ballots cast 2,886 · Invalid 13 · EC ward code local.reading.park.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index