Reading East

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Former parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, from 1983 to 2024

title: "Reading East" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["parliamentary-constituencies-in-berkshire-(historic)", "constituencies-of-the-parliament-of-the-united-kingdom-established-in-1983", "constituencies-of-the-parliament-of-the-united-kingdom-disestablished-in-2024", "politics-of-reading,-berkshire"] description: "Former parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, from 1983 to 2024" topic_path: "politics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_East" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Former parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, from 1983 to 2024 ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox UK constituency main"]

Field	Value
name	Reading East
parliament	uk
map1	ReadingEast2007
map2	Berkshire_in_England_2023-04-01
map_entity	Berkshire
year	1983
abolished	2024
type	Borough
previous	Reading North, Reading South and Henley
next	Earley and Woodley, Reading Central
electorate	72,647 (2018){{cite web
url	https://boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/England-Parliamentary-electorates-for-2018.xlsx
title	England Parliamentary electorates 2010-2018
publisher	Boundary Commission for England
access-date	23 March 2019
region	England
county	Berkshire
towns	Reading
european	South East England
elects_howmany	One
::

|name = Reading East |parliament = uk |map1 = ReadingEast2007 |map2 = Berkshire_in_England_2023-04-01 |map_entity = Berkshire |map_year = |year = 1983 |abolished = 2024 |type = Borough |previous = Reading North, Reading South and Henley |next = Earley and Woodley, Reading Central |electorate = 72,647 (2018){{cite web |url=https://boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/England-Parliamentary-electorates-for-2018.xlsx |title=England Parliamentary electorates 2010-2018 |publisher=Boundary Commission for England |access-date=23 March 2019 |mp = |party = |region = England |county = Berkshire |towns = Reading |european = South East England |elects_howmany = One Reading East was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. In the 2019–2024 Parliament, it was one of two Labour seats from a total of eight seats in Berkshire.

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.

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. [[File:Readingeast.svg|thumb|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

The Borough of Reading wards of Abbey, Caversham, Church, Park, Peppard, Redlands, Thames, and Whitley; and
The District of Wokingham wards of Arborfield, Barkham, Finchampstead, Shinfield, and Swallowfield.

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

The Borough of Reading wards of Abbey, Caversham, Church, Katesgrove, Park, Peppard, Redlands, and Thames;and
The District of Wokingham wards of Bulmershe, Loddon, South Lake, and Whitegates.

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

The Borough of Reading wards of Abbey, Caversham, Church, Katesgrove, Mapledurham, Park, Peppard, Redlands, and Thames; and
The District of Wokingham wards of Bulmershe and Whitegates, Loddon, and South Lake.

Marginal changes due to revision of local authority wards.

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

Members of Parliament

::data[format=table] | Election | r|1|date=March 2012}} | Party | |---|---|---| | Conservative Party (UK)}}" | | 1983 | Gerard Vaughan | | Labour Party (UK)}}" | | 1997 | Jane Griffiths | | Conservative Party (UK)}}" | | 2005 | Rob Wilson | | Labour Party (UK)}}" | | 2017 | Matt Rodda | ::

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

Elections in the 2000s

::data[format=table]

2005 notional result	Party	Vote	%
	Conservative	15,381	35.7
	Labour	14,595	33.8
	Liberal Democrats	10,508	24.4
	Others	2,652	6.1

Turnout	43,136	60.3
Electorate	71,480
::

|title=General election 2005: Reading East}} |party = Conservative Party (UK) |candidate = Rob Wilson |votes = 15,557 |percentage = 35.4 |change = +3.5 |party = Labour Party (UK) |candidate = Tony Page |votes = 15,082 |percentage = 34.3 |change = −10.4 |party = Liberal Democrats (UK) |candidate = John Howson |votes = 10,619 |percentage = 24.2 |change = +5.7 |party = Green Party of England and Wales |candidate = Rob White |votes = 1,548 |percentage = 3.5 |change = +1.1 |party = UK Independence Party |candidate = David Lamb |votes = 849 |percentage = 1.9 |change = +0.7 |party = Independent (politician) |candidate = Joan Lloyd |votes = 135 |percentage = 0.3 |change = New |party = Independent (politician) |candidate = Rex Hora |votes = 122 |percentage = 0.3 |change = New |votes = 475 |percentage = 1.1 |change = N/A |votes = 43,912 |percentage = 60.3 |change = +1.9 | reg. electors = 72,806 |winner = Conservative Party (UK) |loser = Labour Party (UK) |swing = +7.0 |title=General election 2001: Reading East}} |party = Labour Party (UK) |candidate = Jane Griffiths |votes = 19,538 |percentage = 44.8 |change = +2.1 |party = Conservative Party (UK) |candidate = Barry Tanswell |votes = 13,943 |percentage = 32.0 |change = −3.2 |party = Liberal Democrats (UK) |candidate = Thomas Dobrashian |votes = 8,078 |percentage = 18.5 |change = –0.0 |party = Green Party of England and Wales |candidate = Miriam Kennet |votes = 1,053 |percentage = 2.4 |change = New |party = UK Independence Party |candidate = Amy Thornton |votes = 525 |percentage = 1.2 |change = +0.7 |party = Socialist Alliance (England) |candidate = Darren Williams |votes = 394 |percentage = 0.9 |change = New |party = Independent (politician) |candidate = Peter Hammerson |votes = 94 |percentage = 0.2 |change = New |votes = 5,595 |percentage = 12.8 |change = +5.3 |votes = 43,625 |percentage = 58.4 |change = −11.7 | reg. electors = 74,637 |winner = Labour Party (UK) |swing = +2.6

Elections in the 1990s

|title=General election 1997: Reading East}} |party = Labour Party (UK) |candidate = Jane Griffiths |votes = 21,461 |percentage = 42.7 |change = +13.8 |party = Conservative Party (UK) |candidate = John Watts |votes = 17,666 |percentage = 35.2 |change = −13.9 |party = Liberal Democrats (UK) |candidate = Sam Samuel |votes = 9,307 |percentage = 18.5 |change = −1.9 |party = Referendum Party |candidate = David Harmer |votes = 1,042 |percentage = 2.1 |change = New |party = Natural Law Party |candidate = John Buckley |votes = 254 |percentage = 0.5 |change = New |party = UK Independence Party |candidate = Amy Thornton |votes = 252 |percentage = 0.5 |change = New |party = British National Party |candidate = Barbara Packer |votes = 238 |percentage = 0.5 |change = New |votes = 3,795 |percentage = 7.6 |change = N/A |votes = 50,220 |percentage = 70.2 |change = −4.8 | reg. electors = 71,586 |winner = Labour Party (UK) |loser = Conservative Party (UK) |swing = +13.9 ::data[format=table]

1992 notional result	Party	Vote	%
	Conservative	25,699	49.1
	Labour	15,115	28.9
	Liberal Democrats	10,684	20.4
	Others	814	1.6

Turnout	52,312	74.9
Electorate	69,817
::

|title=General election 1992: Reading East{{cite web| url=http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge92/ge92index.htm|title=Politics Resources|date=9 April 1992|work=Election 1992|publisher=Politics Resources|access-date=6 December 2010}}}} |party = Conservative Party (UK) |candidate = Gerard Vaughan |votes = 29,148 |percentage = 53.8 |change = +0.0 |party = Labour Party (UK) |candidate = Gillian Parker |votes = 14,593 |percentage = 27.0 |change = +5.5 |party = Liberal Democrats (UK) |candidate = Denis Thair |votes = 9,528 |percentage = 17.6 |change = −5.6 |party = Green Party of England and Wales |candidate = A McCubbin |votes = 861 |percentage = 1.6 |change = +0.3 |votes = 14,555 |percentage = 26.8 |change = −3.7 |votes = 54,130 |percentage = 75.0 |change = +1.8 | reg. electors = 72,151 |winner = Conservative Party (UK) |swing = −2.7

Elections in the 1980s

1979 notional result	Party	Vote	%
	Conservative	26,746	54.6
	Labour	13,969	28.5
	Liberal	7,749	15.8
	Others	560	1.1

Turnout	49,024
Electorate
::

Notes

References

(December 2017). "'Reading East', June 1983 up to May 1997". Cognitive Computing Limited.
"South East {{!}} Boundary Commission for England".
"The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South East". [[Boundary Commission for England]].
"Initial proposals for new Parliamentary constituency boundaries in the South East region". [[Boundary Commission for England]].
"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983". legislation.gov.uk.
"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995". legislation.gov.uk.
"The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007". legislation.gov.uk.
"Election Maps". Ordnance Survey.
{{Rayment-hc. r. 1. (March 2012)
"Reading East parliamentary constituency – Election 201( – BBC News". BBC News.
"Reading Borough Council – statement of persons nominated 2017".
"Reading East parliamentary constituency – Election 2017 – BBC News". BBC News.
"Reading Borough Council".
"Notice of Persons Nominated". Reading Borough Council.
"Parliamentary results 2015". Reading Borough Council.
"UK Polling Report".
"Election Data 2010". [[Electoral Calculus]].
"Election Data 2005". [[Electoral Calculus]].
(2005). "Election 2005 – Reading East". BBC.
"Election Data 2001". [[Electoral Calculus]].
(2001). "Research Paper 01/54 – General Election Results – 7 June 2001". House of Commons Library.
"Election Data 1997". [[Electoral Calculus]].
"Election Data 1992". [[Electoral Calculus]].
"Election Data 1987". [[Electoral Calculus]].
"Election Data 1983". [[Electoral Calculus]].
"BBC/ITN NOTIONAL ELECTION 1979". BBC/ITN.

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