Sign up to our newsletter for daily updates and breaking news Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

The party faithful have been pounding the streets to woo the voters - and the result is that there is absolutely no change on Reading Borough Council .

Everyone of the 16 seats up for election went to the party which held it before.

The result is Labour continues to hold on to power in Reading with 31 seats, the Conservatives have 10 seats, the Greens have three and Liberal Democrats two.

The only difference in the council make-up is a change of personnel with Emmett McKenna for Labour taking over in Whitley from outgoing Councillor Mike Orton and Brenda McGonigle taking the seat in Park ward from Green councillor Jamie Whitham who also stood down.

Arriving late and shaken with her arm in a sling, leader of the Labour group Cllr Jo Lovelock easily held on to her Norcot seat.

She told getreading she had taken a fall in the bathroom when the lights failed in her home just before coming out to the count at Rivermead Leisure Complex in the early hours of today, Friday, May 6.

She sprained her shoulder and cut her leg and was treated by paramedics when she got to Rivermead.

When the results came in Cllr Lovelock said: “Obviously, we’re extremely pleased in Reading that we have retained all of our seats and it’s a tribute to all the work that all my colleagues do all through the year working on behalf of local residents.”

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

Before the count, some councillors were expressing concern about the turnout.

Cllr Tony Jones described the public mood as one of “apathy”

However, the 33.78 per cent overall turnout is roughly the same as in the 2014 - the last year when there was just a council election.

General Election years tend to push the turnout up to more than 60 per cent.

The highest turnout this year was in Mapledurham ward where 45.21 per cent went to the polls and the lowest was in Whitley where just over 24 per cent voted.

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

The most hotly contested wards were Kentwood and Caversham where Labour was threatened by the Conservatives and Redlands where the Greens took second place- but made little headway against the substantial Labour majority.

Tilehurst ward councillor Lib Dem Meri O'Connell easily saw off a threat from the Conservatives.

There are no local elections now until 2018.