Reading elections 2023: meet all your candidates

Contests will take place in all 16 of the wards in the borough, stretching from Tilehurst to the Three Tuns, and from Green Park up to Emmer Green.

When all is said and done, 17 councillors will be elected, as there is a vacancy for cllr McGonigle’s departure.

New faces are guaranteed as four councillors have chosen not to stand for re-election this year.

Currently, the council is made up of 31 Labour councillors, six Green councillors (there were seven but cllr Brenda McGonigle has retired), six Conservatives, three Liberal Democrats and Independent cllr Sarah Hacker, who was elected as a Labour representative.

Of the 17 seats up for grabs, 10 are being defended by Labour, three each are being defended by the Greens and the Conservatives, and one is being defended by the Liberal Democrats.

You can view all the candidates and biographies using the graphic below. All you need to do is select the ward you live in using the drop-down icon to see who is standing.

The election will be held on Thursday, May 4.

Those voting in person must bring photo ID to the polling station to be able to vote.

Some people have already voted by post.

If you are too late to post your ballot paper, you can take it to your designated polling station on election day, or the Electoral Office at the council offices in Bridge Street before it closes at 5pm on Thursday.

Reading Chronicle | Town Centre