Reading East (UK Parliament constituency)

Reading East
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons

Boundary of Reading East in Berkshire.

Location of Berkshire within England.
County Berkshire
Electorate 78,170 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlements Reading
Current constituency
Created 1983 (1983)
Member of Parliament Rob Wilson (Conservative)
Number of members One
Created from Reading North and Reading South
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency South East England

Reading East is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like all such constituencies, it elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. The constituency covers an area in and around the town of Reading in the county of Berkshire.

Contents

Boundaries

The constituency comprises the central, northern and eastern parts of the Borough of Reading (specifically the wards of Abbey, Caversham, Church, Katesgrove, Mapledurham, Park, Peppard, Redlands and Thames), together with the parishes of Woodley and (part of) Sonning in Wokingham District. It is bounded by the constituencies of Reading West, Henley, Maidenhead, and Wokingham.[2]

History

The Reading East parliamentary constituency was first contested in 1983, when it was won for the Conservative Party by Gerard Vaughan, the sitting MP for the previous Reading South constituency. He held the seat through all subsequent general elections until he retired before the 1997 election.

The constituency was then won for the Labour Party by Jane Griffiths in the 1997 election that brought Labour to power under Tony Blair. She retained the seat in the 2001 election, but was deselected by her Constituency Labour Party before the 2005 election, when the seat was regained for the Conservatives by Rob Wilson.

Members of Parliament

Election Member [3] Party
1983 Gerard Vaughan Conservative
1997 Jane Griffiths Labour
2005 Rob Wilson Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2010: Reading East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rob Wilson 21,269 42.6 +6.9
Liberal Democrat Gareth Epps 13,664 27.3 +3.0
Labour Anneliese Dodds 12,729 25.5 -8.5
UKIP Adrian Pitfield 1,086 2.2 +0.2
Green Rob White 1,069 2.1 -1.4
Independent Joan Lloyd 111 0.2 +0.2
Independent Michael Turberville 57 0.1 +0.1
Majority 7,605 15.2
Turnout 49,985 66.7 +8.2
Conservative hold Swing
Source BBC[4]

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Reading East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rob Wilson 15,557 35.4 +3.4
Labour Tony Page 15,082 34.3 -10.5
Liberal Democrat Prof John Howson 10,619 24.2 +5.7
Green Rob White 1,548 3.5 +1.1
UKIP David Lamb 849 1.9 +0.7
Independent Joan Lloyd 135 0.3 +0.3
Independent Rex Hora 122 0.3 +0.3
Majority 475 1.1
Turnout 43,912 60.3 +1.9
Conservative gain from Labour Swing +7.0
Source BBC[5]
General Election 2001: Reading East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jane Griffiths 19,538 44.8 +2.1
Conservative Barry Tanswell 13,943 32.0 -3.2
Liberal Democrat Thomas Dobrashian 8,078 18.5 0.0
Green Miriam Kennet 1,053 2.4 N/A
UKIP Amy Thornton 525 1.2 +0.7
Socialist Alliance Darren Williams 394 0.9 N/A
Independent Peter Hammerson 94 0.2 N/A
Majority 5,595 12.8
Turnout 43,625 58.4 -11.7
Labour hold Swing -2.7
Source House of Commons Library[6]

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Reading East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jane Griffiths 21,461 42.7 +15.7
Conservative John Watts 17,666 35.2 -18.6
Liberal Democrat Sam Samuel 9,307 18.5 +0.9
Referendum Party D Harmer 1,042 2.1 N/A
Natural Law J Buckley 254 0.5 N/A
UKIP A L Thornton 252 0.5 N/A
BNP Barbara Packer 238 0.5 N/A
Majority 3,795 7.5
Turnout 50,220 70.2 -4.8
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +17.2
Source Guardian Unlimited[7]
General Election 1992: Reading East[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gerard Vaughan 29,148 53.8 0.0
Labour Gillian Parker 14,593 27.0 +5.5
Liberal Democrat Denis Thair 9,528 17.6 −5.6
Green A McCubbin 861 1.6 +0.3
Majority 14,555 26.8 −3.8
Turnout 54,130 75.0 +1.7
Conservative hold Swing −2.8
Source Guardian Unlimited[7]

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Reading East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gerard Vaughan 28,515 53.8 +2.2
SDP–Liberal Alliance (Social Democrat) S. M. Baring 12,298 23.2 −4.2
Labour Martin Salter 11,371 21.5 +2.1
Green P. J. Unsworth 667 1.3 +0.2
CSOSMG A. B. Shone 125 0.2 N/A
Majority 16,217 30.6
Turnout 52,976 73.3 +2.9
Conservative hold Swing
Source [9]
General Election 1983: Reading East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gerard Vaughan 24,516 51.6
SDP–Liberal Alliance (Social Democrat) Chris Huhne 13,008 27.4
Labour K. Boyle 9,218 19.4
Ecology G. Darnton 519 1.1
BNP P. Baker 147 0.3
Common Market Party B. Shone 113 0.2
Majority 11,508 24.2
Turnout 47,512 70.4
Conservative hold Swing
Source [10]

See also

References