A prediction for the Wokingham council elections sees the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives clashing in Earley and Woodley.
Wokingham Borough Council is holding an election this year on Thursday, May 7, for the first time since 2024.
The polling website Britain Votes Now predicts that the Liberal Democrats will win the three seats in Earley and one in South Lake, with the Conservatives winning two.
The prediction would see only one change, with the Labour Party being uncompetitive, following a reversal in their fortunes after winning three seats in 2024.
Britain Votes Now shows the Conservatives winning in the Loddon ward, picking up the seat that was held by Alex Freeney.
He was elected as a Labour councillor in May 2024, but became Independent after being suspended by Labour in 2025.
According to the prediction, the Conservatives will win with their candidate, David Bragg, who is the sitting mayor of Woodley Town Council for 2025/26.
The other candidates standing are Rona Noble for Labour, Nigel Harman for the Liberal Democrats, Stuart Simpson for the Green Party and Lance Tyrrill for Reform UK.
Elsewhere in Woodley, the Conservatives are expected to hold onto Bulmershe & Coronation with their candidate councillor Yusra Salman.
Laurence Beard, the Green candidate, is expected to finish in second place, with former councillor Andy Croy coming last.
He previously served as a councillor from 2016 to 2021 and from 2022 to 2024.
The other people running are Sheila Jordan from the Liberal Democrats and Kai Meade for Reform UK.
South Lake is set to be a Lib Dem hold with councillor Carol Jewell keeping her seat.
The ward is being contested by Gary Shacklady for the Greens, who stood as their candidate for Earley and Woodley in the 2024 general election, and William Gale, who has served as an aide for Yuan Yang MP.
Others in the running are Andy Harris for Reform and Michael Kennedy for the Conservatives.
Over in Earley, the prediction shows the Liberal Democrats holding on to Hawkedon.
Melanie De Jong is the incumbent Lib Dem councillor, who is facing off against Michael Firmager, the Conservative candidate and a representative for the Warren ward on Woodley Town Council.
People can also vote for Mark Craske from Labour, Tom Milne, the Green candidate and Sol Villaverde, standing for Reform.
Hillside ward, which stretches from the University of Reading to the M4, is predicted to be held by Lib Dem councillor Caroline Smith.
Nick Kilby is standing for the Conservatives, Evan Ainsworth for Labour, Russell Seymour for the Greens and Amy Robins for Reform.
And in Maiden Erlegh and Whitegates, Lib Dem Andy Ng Siu‑Hong, elected in 2024, is expected to keep his seat by a whisker, as he and Conservative candidate Wazir Hussain are both given a vote share of 30 per cent.
Other candidates are Samuel Langlois for the Greens, Mary Morris for Labour and Lillie Harris for Reform UK.
