Conservative Rob Wilson will remain the MP for Reading East, writes George Hamilton.
Mr Wilson, MP for the constituency since 2005, was returned with a slightly increased vote of 23,217, up almost 2,000 on 2010.
Speaking after the announcement of the result at the Rivermead Leisure Centre near Caversham, Mr Wilson pledged to continue fighting for a third Thames bridge, improved schools and additional investment in transport infrastructure. He also vowed to hold the local authority to account on schools and opportunities for young people.
Reflecting on the national situation, he said: “Britain has rejected the Labour Party in a way that was almost unimaginable only yesterday.”
The result was announced at just after 7.30am on Friday morning. Mr Wilson had seen his Tory colleague Alok Sharma hold the Reading West constituency 10 minutes earlier.
Both Tory victories were greeted with loud cheers from a group of around 30 party activists. Labour’s Matt Rodda was Mr Wilson’s closest rival, receiving 16,697 votes, 6,520 less than the incumbent.
Jenny Woods of the Liberal Democrats secured 3,719 votes, narrowly ahead of UKIP’s Christine Forrester, who picked up 3,647. The Green Party’s Rob White secured the backing of 3,214 voters, up from the 1,069 votes he received in 2010.
Turnout was 69.2%, up from 67% in 2010.
