The Liberal Democrats retained control of both Wokingham borough council and Wokingham town council following the local elections on Thursday, May 7.
Residents went to the polls as 19 seats were up across the borough’s 18 wards.
Votes were verified and counted at Loddon Valley Leisure Centre on Friday.
Heading into the borough council elections, the Liberal Democrats held 27 seats, while the Conservatives, the main opposition, had 19 seats.
Labour was the only other party with more than one seat prior, with five.
Following last week’s results, the number of councillors for each party are as follows:
• Liberal Democrats – 29 seats
• The Conservative Party – 19 seats
• The Labour Party – 5 seats
• Green Party – 1 seats
Five parties – the Conservatives, Green Party, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK – had a candidate standing in each ward.
The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition put up candidates in two wards – Norreys, and Spencers Wood and Swallowfield – and there was one Independent candidate standing in Shinfield.
In the Wokingham Without ward, 10 candidates stood – two each from the five main political parties. They were contesting two seats following the resignation of a councillor earlier this year, which created a vacancy and a 19th seat up for election.
Wokingham borough council normally elects 18, or one-third of its total of 54 councillors, every year for three years. It holds no elections in the fourth, or ‘fallow’ year.
Alongside the borough council elections, three seats were also up for election on Wokingham town council, and there was a referendum for Charvil residents in the borough’s Thames ward on the parish’s Neighbourhood Plan.
The Wokingham borough council results were as follows:
Barkham & Arborfield
• Bose, Mohima, Liberal Democrats – 1,328 votes (Elected – gain)
• Bowring, Christopher John, Reform UK – 769 votes
• Feroz, Asad, Green Party – 267 votes
• Graabek, Sebastian, The Conservative Party – 866 votes
• Sykes, Isla Emily, The Labour Party – 123 votes
There were 3,365 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 40%.
Bulmershe & Coronation
• Beard, Laurence Paul, Green Party – 468 votes
• Croy, Andy, The Labour Party – 452 votes
• Jordan, Sheila Anne, Liberal Democrats – 584 votes
• Meade, Kai, Reform UK – 722 votes
• Salman, Yusra, The Conservative Party – 1,238 votes (Elected – hold)
There were 3,474 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 49%.
Emmbrook
• Alvi, Basit Sajjad, Liberal Democrats – 1,854 votes (Elected – hold)
• Clarke, John Ralph, Reform UK – 678 votes
• Kolluru, Gopi, The Labour Party – 159 votes
• Vernon, Mark Jonathan, Green Party – 406 votes
• Westhorpe, James, The Conservative Party – 1,005 votes
There were 4,116 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 51%.
Evendons
• Field, Jeremy Michael, Reform UK – 672 votes
• Graabek, Bjorn, The Conservative Party – 915 votes
• Hughes, Joe, Green Party – 319 votes
• Medhurst, Annette Laura, The Labour Party – 203 votes
• Singh, Richa, Liberal Democrats – 1,382 votes (Elected – hold)
There were 3,498 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 49%.
Finchampstead
• Carter, Shannon, Green Party – 262 votes
• Harper, Peter, The Conservative Party – 1,630 votes (Elected – hold)
• Pluves, Jac, The Labour Party – 115 votes
• Seraphin, Laurent, Liberal Democrats – 1,310 votes
• Surpless, Stephen, Reform UK – 902 votes
There were 4,227 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 52%.
Hawkedon
• Craske, Mark Ambrose, The Labour Party – 220 votes
• De Jong, Melanie Cheryl, Liberal Democrats – 1,270 votes (Elected – hold)
• Firmager, Michael John, The Conservative Party – 1,127 votes
• Milne, Tom, Green Party – 343 votes
• Villaverde, Sol, Reform UK – 578 votes
There were 3,544 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 46%.
Hillside
• Ainsworth, Evan Peter, The Labour Party – 216 votes
• Kilby, Nick, The Conservative Party – 1,305 votes
• Robins, Amy Louise, Reform UK – 557 votes
• Seymour, Russell Stewart, Green Party – 403 votes
• Smith, Caroline, Liberal Democrats – 1,485 votes (Elected – hold)
There were 3,978 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 53%.
Loddon
• Bragg, David, The Conservative Party – 908 votes (Elected – gain)
• Harman, Nigel Stuart, Liberal Democrats – 392 votes
• Noblel, Rona Melanie, The Labour Party – 580 votes
• Simpsonl, Stuart Andrew, Green Party – 522 votes
• Tyrrill, Lance, Reform UK – 664 votes
There were 3,078 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 45%.
Maiden Erlegh & Whitegates
• Harrisl, Lillie, Reform UK – 523 votes
• Hussainl, Wazir, The Conservative Party – 1,067 votes
• Langloisl,Samuel, Green Party – 509 votes
• Morris, Mary Elizabeth, The Labour Party – 425 votes
• Ng, Siu-hong Andy, Liberal Democrats – 1,491 votes (Elected – hold)
There were 4,026 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 49%.
Norreys
• Cunnington, Phil, The Conservative Party – 798 votes
• Gillman, Sara Elizabeth, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition – 20 votes
• Halsall, John Anthony Sydney, Reform UK – 655 votes
• Jones, Alwyn Howard, Liberal Democrats – 568 votes
• Lehal, Kalveer Kaur, Green Party – 228 votes
• Nagella, Nagi, The Labour Party – 896 votes (Elected – hold)
There were 3,173 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 46%.
Shinfield
• Batth, Parry, Reform UK – 480 votes
• McKenzie, Richard Mark, The Labour Party – 321 votes
• Rider, Dominic Alain, Liberal Democrats – 268 votes
• Shaw,. Edward, Independent – 530 votes
• Srinivasan, Vishal, The Conservative Party – 854 votes (Elected – hold)
• Titus, Keiron, Green Party – 241 votes
There were 2,701 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 37%.
South Lake
• Gale, William Francis John, The Labour Party – 238 votes
• Harris, Andy, Reform UK – 770 votes
• Jewell, Carol Ann, Liberal Democrats – 1,174 votes (Elected – hold)
• Kennedy, Michael, The Conservative Party – 826 votes
• Shacklady, Gary, Green Party – 614 votes
There were 3,626 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 49%.
Spencers Wood & Swallowfield
• Allan, Gerry, Reform UK – 844 votes
• Allman, Kathryn Jane, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition – 55 votes
• Blomley, Tom, Green Party – 307 votes
• Johnson, Chris, Liberal Democrats – 1,072 votes (Elected – gain)
• Pollock, Anthony, The Conservative Party – 1,052 votes
• Steele, Jacky, The Labour Party – 125 votes
There were 3,462 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 44%.
Thames
• Baker, Salma, Green Party – 201 votes
• Cook, Leon, The Conservative Party – 1,550 votes (Elected – gain)
• Crainer, Stuart George, The Labour Party – 70 votes
• Harding, Katrin, Liberal Democrats – 1,532 votes
• McLaren, Andrew James, Reform UK – 467 votes
There were 3,830 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 54%.
Twyford, Ruscombe & Hurst
• Andrea, Martijn, Liberal Democrats – 2,535 votes (Elected – hold)
• Boniface, Merv, Green Party – 330 votes
• Grant, Darren James, Reform UK – 694 votes
• Hooper, Stuart Ashley, The Labour Party – 82 votes
• Howe, Graham, The Conservative Party – 643 votes
There were 4,291 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 54%.
Wescott
• Chapman, David, Green Party – 398 votes
• Clubley, Stephen, The Conservative Party – 953 votes
• Cooke ,Chris, Liberal Democrats – 1,398 votes (Elected – hold)
• Mayers, Tom, The Labour Party – 150 votes
• Pigott, James, Reform UK – 590 votes
There were 3,505 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 46%.
Winnersh
• Fife, Jim, Reform UK – 677 votes
• Jamthe, Chetna, Liberal Democrats – 1,464 votes (Elected – hold)
• Jinkerson, Tim, The Labour Party – 91 votes
• Titchiner, Laura, Green Party – 309 votes
• Washbourne, Martyn, The Conservative Party – 729 votes
There were 3,270 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 41%.
Wokingham Without
• Bond, Carl Andrew, Reform UK – 603 votes
• Brooks, Roberta, Liberal Democrats – 1,160 votes (Elected – hold)
• Clark, Tom, The Labour Party – 72 votes
• Davies, David Owen Howell, The Conservative Party – 1,049 votes
• Heath, Colin, The Labour Party – 55 votes
• Newbury, Henry, Green Party – 177 votes
• Percy, Jerry, Liberal Democrats – 1,108 votes
• Turtle, Seona, The Conservative Party – 1,197 votes (Elected – hold)
• Wright, Colin, Reform UK – 631 votes
• Zilberman, Guy, Green Party – 176 votes
There were 3,193 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 50%.
Wokingham town council
Emmbrook North Ward
• Brown, Andrew Michael, Liberal Democrats – 1,043 votes (Elected)
• Kolluru, Gopi, The Labour Party – 186 votes
• Westhorpe, James, The Conservative Party – 681 votes
There were 1,944 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 50%.
Evendons West Ward
• Graabek, Bjorn, The Conservative Party – 874 votes
• Harding, Andy, The Labour Party – 144 votes
• Staunton, JB, Liberal Democrats – 1,175 votes (Elected)
There were 2,217 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 51%.
Norreys East Ward
• Clubley, Steve, The Conservative Party – 867 votes (Elected)
• Hardie, Jillian, Liberal Democrats – 753 votes
• Weighill, Marie-Louise, The Labour Party – 397 votes
There were 2,058 ballot papers issued and the turnout was 42%.
As a result, the number of councillors for each party on Wokingham town council is:
• Liberal Democrats – 17 seats
• The Labour Party – 4 seats
• The Conservative Party – 3 seats
• Independent – 1 seat
