Reading Central: MP, 2024 result and local figures
Reading Central is represented in the House of Commons by Matt Rodda (Labour). Matt Rodda took the seat for Labour in July 2024 with 21,598 votes (47.7%), ahead of Raj Singh (Conservative) on 8,961. Turnout, counted as valid votes over the electorate, was 61.5% (45,291 of 73,600); the winning margin was 12,637 votes.
Key figures
What the figures show
On the official figures, Reading Central has the 22nd highest median full-time pay for jobs based here of the 632 constituencies with this figure (£47,337 a year).
Reading Central had an estimated population of 122,660 in mid-2024, against 111,161 in 2014 (ONS). There were more children under 16 (22,312) than residents aged 65 and over (13,919).
Survey estimates for April 2025 to March 2026 have 82.5% of working-age residents in employment, within a margin of 4.7 points. The economically inactive share was 16.2%.
6,230 business sites were registered in Reading Central in March 2026 (6,235 a year before), and employed 87,000 people in 2024.
Census 2021: 46,387 households, 4,514.7 people per square kilometre, 42.5% of workers based at home, 12.9% of adults retired.
Homes in Reading Central sold for a median £335,000 in the year to March 2026, from HM Land Registry records compiled by the ONS. That is up 26% on £265,000 ten years before. The highest March-year median in the series was £348,000, in the year to March 2025. It ranks 208th highest of 575 constituencies. The figure rests on 1,163 recorded sales.
Median annual pay for full-time work was £47,337 for jobs in Reading Central and £39,996 for its residents (April 2025, ASHE). A year before, the residents' median was £43,352. The residents' figure ranks 229th highest of 632 constituencies with an estimate. The latest year is provisional.
5,181 children in Reading Central were in relative low income families after housing costs in 2024/25, the Department for Work and Pensions estimates: 23.2% of under-16s, where the UK share is 26.0%. Before housing costs the share was 13.4% in 2024/25, from 12.1% in 2021/22.
3,665 people were claiming unemployment-related benefits in September 2026, 4.2% of residents aged 16 to 64. September 2025 had 3,685.
MP
Matt Rodda, Labour
- MP for Reading Central since 4 July 2024
- In the House of Commons since 8 June 2017
Official UK Parliament page · Statements by Matt Rodda on this site
In Parliament
What Matt Rodda said most recently in Parliament, word for word from Hansard (from 10 September 2026 to 21 October 2026). Hansard search returns 229 spoken contributions by Matt Rodda since 4 July 2024.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. I thank the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Helen Maguire) for securing this important debate. I am aware of the time pressure, so I will try to be brief.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I declare an interest, as I have a close relative working in the care sector. I welcome the Minister’s statement on this important matter.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
It has been a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms McVey. I thank Mr Speaker for granting this debate, the House and the Members who have spoken today, including the Opposition Front-Bench spokesman and the spokeswoman for the Liberal Democrats.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I beg to move, That this House has considered Government support for the situation in Nepal. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms McVey. I am grateful for the opportunity to discuss the Government’s response to the recent terrible floods in Nepal.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
It is a great pleasure to speak in this debate. I welcome this Bill, particularly the very important measures to support victims of domestic violence and the sensible measures to reform the right to buy.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
Read from the Hansard API on 25 October 2026. Up to two items per debate; remarks under 40 characters are left out. All contributions in Hansard.
General election, 4 July 2024
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Change in share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Rodda | Labour | 21,598 | 47.7% | −4.9 |
| Raj Singh | Conservative | 8,961 | 19.8% | −16.6 |
| Dave McElroy | Green Party | 6,417 | 14.2% | +11.1 |
| Henry Wright | Liberal Democrat | 3,963 | 8.8% | +2.4 |
| Andrew Williams | Reform UK | 3,904 | 8.6% | +7.5 |
| Michael Turberville | Independent | 227 | 0.5% | |
| Adam Gillman | Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition | 221 | 0.5% |
Result summary as published: Lab hold. Change in share is in percentage points against the notional 2019 result on the new boundaries. Source: House of Commons Library, election results (data, read 14 October 2026).
Results on these boundaries
| Date | Election | First | Second | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 July 2024 | General election | Labour 47.7% | Conservative 19.8% | 12,637 | 61.5% |
| 12 December 2019 | General election (notional result on these boundaries) | Labour 52.6% | Conservative 36.4% | 8,351 | 72.3% |
Only results on the constituency boundaries first used at the 2024 general election are shown. The 2019 figures are the House of Commons Library's notional estimates of how votes cast in 2019 would have fallen on these boundaries, not a result that was declared. Source: House of Commons Library, constituency results.
Councils
Reading Central lies within Reading.
- Reading E06000038
Who has power over Reading Central
Every body that makes decisions for Reading Central, from the street up to the G20. Each one links to its page on the official record. How the ten levels work.
Level 1: Neighbourhood and community power
Residents' and tenants' groups, neighbourhood forums and local policing panels.
Level 2: Parish, town and community councils
Parish, town and community councils, where the area has them, sit below the council.
Level 3: Local councils
Level 5: Devolved and state governments
England has no devolved parliament of its own: its laws are made by the UK Parliament.
Level 6: National government
- Reading Central this page: Matt Rodda (Labour) MP
- All 650 MPs votes, interests and costs
- UK government and Parliament official figures and sources
Level 7: Regional blocs and supranational bodies
- Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights (CoE / ECtHR) The UK Government says the United Kingdom was one of the Council of Europe's founding members.
Level 8: The UN and global treaty bodies
- United Nations (General Assembly and Security Council) The UN lists the United Kingdom as a member admitted on 24 October 1945.
- United Nations Security Council (UNSC) The UK is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council and holds the veto, according to the UN.
- NATO NATO lists the United Kingdom among its 12 founding members, which signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C.
- World Health Organization (WHO) WHO's list of member states includes the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- World Trade Organization (WTO) The WTO says the United Kingdom has been a WTO member since 1 January 1995 and a member of GATT since 1 January 1948.
- Commonwealth of Nations The UK is one of the 56 members, one of three European members with Cyprus and Malta, and the Commonwealth Secretariat is headquartered at Marlborough House in London.
Level 9: The IMF, World Bank and global finance
- International Monetary Fund (IMF) The UK has been a member since 27 December 1945 and has a quota of SDR 20,155.1 million (IMF country page for the United Kingdom).
- World Bank Group (WBG) The UK holds 3.75% of voting power in the IBRD (data as of 30 June 2026) and 6.92% in IDA (as of 30 June 2026), according to the World Bank's voting tables.
Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums
Sources
| Figure | Period | Publisher | Read | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | mid-2024 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Claimants as a share of residents aged 16 to 64 | September 2026 | ONS | 29 October 2026 | data · area |
| Claimant count | September 2026 | ONS | 29 October 2026 | data · area |
| Employment rate, aged 16 to 64 | April 2025 to March 2026 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Median full-time pay of residents | April 2025 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Median full-time pay of people working here | April 2025 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Median house price | the year to March 2026 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · release |
| Homes sold | the year to March 2026 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · release |
| Children in relative low income families, after housing costs | 2024/25 | DWP | 14 October 2026 | data · release |
| Children in relative low income families, before housing costs | 2024/25 | DWP | 14 October 2026 | data · release |
| Business sites (local units) | March 2026 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| People employed by businesses here | 2024 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Economically inactive, aged 16 to 64 | April 2025 to March 2026 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Households | Census 2021 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Residents per square kilometre | Census 2021 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Workers mainly working from home | Census 2021 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Residents aged 16+ who are retired | Census 2021 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
"Data" is the file or query each figure was read from (its SHA-256 is in the link title); "area" shows the same table for this constituency alone.
Common questions
Who is the MP for Reading Central?
UK Parliament lists Matt Rodda, Labour, as the Member of Parliament for Reading Central since the July 2024 general election.
What was the 2024 general election result in Reading Central?
Matt Rodda (Labour) won with 21,598 votes, a majority of 12,637, on a turnout of 61.5% (House of Commons Library).
What is the unemployment claimant rate in Reading Central?
4.2% of residents aged 16 to 64 in September 2026, 3,665 people, on the ONS claimant count.
What is the average house price in Reading Central?
The median price paid was £335,000 in the year to March 2026 (ONS, from HM Land Registry sales).
What is the average salary in Reading Central?
Median full-time pay of residents was £39,996 a year in April 2025 (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings).
How many children in Reading Central live in low income families?
DWP counts 5,181 (23.2% of under-16s) in relative low income after housing costs for 2024/25.
What is the population of Reading Central?
The ONS estimate for mid-2024 is 122,660 residents.
Built 14 October 2026 from official records; how these pages are compiled. This page lists what the record shows and gives no verdict on the MP or the area. Link moved or figure wrong? Tell us.