Reading West was a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.

Boundary changes for the 2010 election took in areas of population expansion to the east in new largely private sector housing estates.

Unemployment is close to the regional average, which is lower than the national average[6] and the constituency has seen a marked increase in properties and property prices throughout the 2001 to 2011 period which saw town centre regeneration and investment by a Labour Party-controlled council enhanced by Reading railway station hub improvements and enterprise areas equally.

Sharma held several posts within government, including serving in the Cabinet as the President for COP26 from January 2021 until October 2022.

The constituency was bordered by the seats of Newbury, Henley, Reading East, and Wokingham.