Battle for second place in Reading Central sees Conservatives come runners up

The Conservatives came in second place in the new Reading Central constituency.

As expected, Matt Rodda, the Labour candidate, won the election contest with 21,598 votes and a 12,637 vote majority.

Councillor Raj Singh, the Conservative candidate, came in second place, beating out fellow cllr Dave McElroy, the Green candidate.

Cllr Singh, a Conservative representative for Kentwood in Tilehurst said: "Firstly, I'm incredibly proud of what we managed to achieve with four weeks in hand.

"We managed to campaign on issues grounded in conservative values, personal responsibility, human dignity and economic freedom.

Raj Singh, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for the Reading Central seat, and a borough councillor for Kentwood ward.

And I'm really, really thankful to all the volunteers, friends and families who have helped us, not only in Reading Central. But across other constituencies, despite the national picture and considering this, is a safe Labour seat,

"I think we've done a really good job."

Cllr Singh received 8,961 votes.

Meanwhile, cllr Dave McElroy, a Green representative for Redlands in East Reading, responding to a suggestion that he would be in a battle for second place, said: "Ohh yeah yeah definitely.

"I think the platform that we have at the local elections sets us up to have a good chance here.

"And that's what this is really about is setting the tone for the government that Labour will set. Right?

Dave McElroy at the local election count in May this year.

"If we have a strong Conservative and Reform vote, then that tells Keir Starmer to go further to the right.

"If we have a strong Green second, then that's a completely different tone."

Henry Wright from the Liberal Democrats came in fourth place with 3,963 votes.

An NHS worker for the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Integrated Care Board, he expects a Labour government to reorganise NHS commissioning again, following the abolition of the clinical commissioning groups in 2022.

(Image: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service)

Coming 59 votes behind the Lib Dems was Andrew Williams, the Reform UK candidate, who received 3,904 votes.

Mr Williams appeared in good spirits despite facing entirely falsely being attributed to explicit X/Twitter posts, which he refuted by stating that he does not have an X/Twitter account.

Andrew Williams, Reform UK candidate for Reading Central. (Image: Mike Swift)

Michael Turberville, the Independent candidate, received 227 votes but was not spotted at the election count nor the podium when the results were announced.

Adam Gillman, who was one of the youngest candidates in the country, only turning 18 in April, stood for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition.

18 year-old Adam Gillman, TUSC candidate with his father and mother. (Image: Mike Swift)

Mr Gillman received 221 votes, and was joined by his mother, father and party activists at the count.