The leader of the Green Party in Reading has reacted to becoming the leader of the opposition on the council.

At the all out Reading Borough Council elections last week, the Green Party took seven seats, increasing their number of councillors from five to seven.

Remarkably, the Green Party was able to gain two seats from the Labour Party in the Katesgrove ward, as well as defending the three seats it held in the Park ward and two seats in Redlands.

Because the Conservatives lost three seats, dropping from having nine councillors to six, the Green Party is now the leading opposition party on Reading Borough Council.

READ MORE: Reading Borough Council elections 2022 results in full 

Celebrating the result, councillor Rob White, the leader of the Reading Green Party said:  “Last week we asked voters in Reading to trust their Green Party candidates with the responsibility of representing them on Reading Borough Council.

“We’re delighted to say that they responded in unprecedented numbers, returning a record number of seven Green councillors.

“Greens are now the second party on Reading Council having more councillors than both the Conservatives and the Lib Dems.

“A big thank you to everyone who voted Green.

“We won overwhelmingly in Park Ward and delivered councillors in both Redlands and Katesgrove.

“It’s due to the year-round hard work of local Green candidates and campaigners – showing residents that change can happen when ordinary people get involved.

“We’re now the second largest party on Reading Council and we will continue to put our agenda forward to make Reading a fairer, greener, more affordable place to live.

“It is still Labour who have a majority of councillors and run the council but we will work for:

· Decent affordable housing and action on fuel poverty

· Healthier, more sustainable transport and reducing air pollution

· Cleaner and greener streets

“The Green Party is made up of ordinary people standing up for Reading. We will keep working hard for the common good.”

READ MORE: Reading election result 2022: Labour tightens grip on council

Cllr White represents Park ward alongside Green councillors Josh Williams and Brenda McGonigle.

Following the election, Loiuse Keene and Doug Creswell, representatives for Katesgrove, and Kathryn McCann, representative for Redlands, have joined the Green team on the council.

However, Jamie Whitham, Green councillor for Redlands failed to get re-elected.

READ MORE: Reading's outgoing councillors after 2022 election defeats

Cllr White got the third highest amount of votes of anyone in the election, with  1,736.

He was beaten out by Matt Yeo, who received 1,793 votes, and Jacopo Lanzoni, who gathered 1,915.

Both of those were Labour candidates for the Caversham ward.

Following the election, Labour has 32 councillors, the Greens have seven, the Conservatives six and the Liberal Democrats have three.

Across Great Britain, 159 Green Party candidates were elected.