General Election 2024: Labour wins Reading Central with 12,000 vote majority

Matt Rodda, the Labour candidate for the Reading Central constituency has won with a majority of more than 12,000 votes.

In the first general election under new constituencies, Mr Rodda, Labour MP for Reading East from 2017 to 2024, retained his place in Parliament.

The result came in earlier than expected, with candidates being summoned to the podium at around 2.15am on Friday, July 5.

The results in full are were as follows:

Matt Rodda, Labour - 21,598

Raj Singh, Conservative Party - 8,961

Dave McElroy, Green Party - 6,417

Henry Wright, Liberal Democrats - 3,963

Andrew Williams, Reform UK - 3,904

Michael Turberville, Independent - 227

Adam Gillman, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition - 221

Mr Rodda said: "I'd like to thank the whole team for activists who have worked relentlessly for six weeks.

"Most of all could I thank my family, and I'd like to thank local residents for putting their trust in me in this election.

"It's been a huge privilege to serve Reading East, the former constituency for the last seven years, and I've had the honour of being able to campaign to save Reading Gaol, to save Reading FC, and to carry out many other local campaigns."

He won with a majority of 12,637 over second-placed councillor Raj Singh, a representative for Kentwood on Reading Borough Council.

Mr Rodda was congratulated by Labour councillors, including Liz Terry, the leader of the borough council.

He entered parliament at the general election in 2017 with 27,093 votes and a 3,749 vote majority over then-Conservative MP Rob Wilson.

Then, Mr Rodda won in 2019 with 27,102 votes and a 5,924 vote majority.