Tight Battle Expected in Wokingham Elections

A new prediction from Britain Votes Now sets up a Lib Dem vs Conservative fight across Earley and Woodley ahead of the Wokingham Borough Council election on Thursday 7 May - the first council vote since 2024.

The site predicts the Liberal Democrats will take three seats in Earley and one in South Lake, with the Conservatives taking two. Overall it would mean just one change, with Labour returning to being uncompetitive after winning three seats in 2024.

In Loddon the Conservatives are tipped to win the seat held by Alex Freeney. He was elected as a Labour councillor in May 2024 but became Independent after being suspended by Labour in 2025. The predicted Conservative winner is David Bragg, the sitting mayor of Woodley Town Council for 2025/26. Other candidates are Rona Noble (Labour), Nigel Harman (Lib Dem), Stuart Simpson (Green) and Lance Tyrrill (Reform UK).

Bulmershe & Coronation is expected to stay Conservative with councillor Yusra Salman. Laurence Beard (Green) is forecast to finish second, with former councillor Andy Croy last. Sheila Jordan (Lib Dem) and Kai Meade (Reform UK) also stand.

South Lake is set to be a Lib Dem hold, with councillor Carol Jewell predicted to keep her seat. Opponents include Gary Shacklady (Green), William Gale (who has served as an aide for Yuan Yang MP), Andy Harris (Reform) and Michael Kennedy (Conservative).

In Earley the Lib Dems are shown holding Hawkedon, where incumbent Melanie De Jong faces Michael Firmager (Conservative), Mark Craske (Labour), Tom Milne (Green) and Sol Villaverde (Reform).

Hillside ward - stretching from the University of Reading to the M4 - is predicted to be held by Lib Dem councillor Caroline Smith. The other candidates are Nick Kilby (Conservative), Evan Ainsworth (Labour), Russell Seymour (Green) and Amy Robins (Reform).

And in Maiden Erlegh and Whitegates Lib Dem Andy Ng Siu-Hong, elected in 2024, is expected to cling on by a whisker: he and Conservative Wazir Hussain are both given around 30 per cent. Samuel Langlois (Green), Mary Morris (Labour) and Lillie Harris (Reform UK) also stand.

If the prediction holds, the only seat to change hands would be Loddon to the Conservatives, leaving Labour largely sidelined in this forecast.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter