Oxfordshire's local election vote count begins
Local election results are being counted in Banbury to determine who will control Oxfordshire County Council for the next four years.All 69 seats on the council are up for election. There are also various district council by-elections across the county.The authority has been run by a coalition of the Liberal Democrats and the Greens since 2023, after Labour pulled out of a three-party alliance formed following the 2021 election.Counting started on Friday morning and results were expected by 19:00 BST.
What is at stake?
Although Oxfordshire County Council probably will not exist for much longer, the authority will still have time to implement - or scrap - major policies such as planned new traffic filters.The balance of power on Oxfordshire County Council is on a knife edge. Extra seats have been created after boundary changes increased the number of councillors from 63 to 69.In the last election in 2021, the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives won exactly 21 seats each.Initially, the authority was run by a coalition of the Liberal Democrats, Greens and Labour, but Labour left in 2023 over a damning report into provision for children with disabilities and special educational needs (SEND).The council has since been run as a minority administration of Lib Dems and Greens.In this election, the Conservatives will be looking to win enough seats to retake control, while the Liberal Democrats will be looking to strengthen their existing position.
LIVE: Follow the latest election updatesWhat happened in local elections overnight and what's still to come?Who won the local election in my area?
Are local authorities changing?
This is set to be the last time Oxfordshire residents are asked to elect county councillors, as local government could be reorganised in the next four years.The government has announced its intention to scrap the current two-tier system of local government - with both districts and a county council.Some areas have been "fast-tracked", meaning they will not have planned elections this May and will instead push on with reorganisation and devolution.Oxfordshire was not successful in its bid to be included in the fast-track scheme, but has been told by the government to prepare plans for reorganisation, with changes set to be in put in place in 2028.After this point, the county council will no longer exist and will have been replaced by one or more unitary authorities, along with a regional elected mayor.
Four of Oxfordshire's MPs have been so-called "double-hatters" since the general election in July.That means they have sat on both local councils and as MPs - that will change.Freddie van Mierlo, the Liberal Democrat MP for Henley, is stepping down as both a district and county councillor.Calum Miller, the Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester & Woodstock, is not standing for re-election to the county council.The Labour MP for Banbury Sean Woodcock has also decided to stand down from his seat on Cherwell District Council, prompting a by-election.Liberal Democrat Charlie Maynard's previous seat on West Oxfordshire District Council will also be filled.
You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
When will we know all the results?How the BBC is reporting local election resultsAnger and indifference collide in unpredictable local elections
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
32 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
UK has one of ‘worst statutory leave offers for fathers in developed world'
In a new report, the House of Commons committee said a maximum of two weeks' paternity leave is 'completely out of step with how most couples want to share their parenting responsibilities' and 'entrenches outdated gender stereotypes about caring'. The committee has urged the Government to either amend the Employment Rights Bill to legislate for a day one right to paid leave or commit to 'considering this vital change within its review' in consultation with employers. It has also called on the Government to consider raising paternity pay to the level of maternity pay in the first six weeks – 90% of average earnings. The paternity and shared parental leave report by the committee said working parents 'will be let down by a review that leads only to tinkering around the edges of the system'. Chairwoman of the Women and Equalities Committee Sarah Owen said the UK's parental leave system was in 'urgent need of an overhaul to fit with the reality of working parents' lives'. The Labour MP for Luton North said reform 'must start with longer and better paid paternity leave'. Ms Owen said: 'It's essential the Government's proposed review addresses the system's fundamental failings, including low statutory pay, inadequate leave periods for fathers and others, exclusion of many working parents and guardians, plus design flaws and unnecessary complexity in the Shared Parental Leave scheme. 'The UK's parental leave system has fallen far behind most comparable countries, and we now have one of the worst statutory leave offers for fathers and other parents in the developed world.' The Labour MP added: 'Ministers must commit to meaningful reforms in the medium-term, with a view to going further towards a more gender equal parental leave system. 'Tinkering around the edges of a broken system will let down working parents. While much-needed substantial change to our paid parental leave system will require considerable financial investment, this would be outweighed by wider societal and economic benefits.' Chairwoman of the Women and Equalities Committee Sarah Owen (Roger Harris/UK Parliament) The report states that the UK's rate of statutory parental pay is 'completely out of kilter with the cost of living, has not kept pace with inflation and is far below rates in most comparable countries'. It recommends phased introduction of increases to statutory pay across the system to bring rates for all working parents up to 80% or more of average earnings or the real Living Wage. The lack of provision for self-employed fathers is 'deeply unfair', the report adds. The committee recommends that the Government consider options for providing statutory paid leave for all self-employed working fathers as part of its review of the parental leave system, including introducing a paternity allowance for self-employed fathers and other parents, similar to maternity allowance. The report states that the shared parental leave system is 'extremely difficult for most parents and their employers to understand'. It said a forthcoming review must examine the function and necessity of eligibility rules, with a view to 'simplifying or removing the employment status, time in service and earnings criteria'. The committee said the review should examine approaches taken in overseas systems, including the German 'partnership bonus' and Portugal's 'sharing bonus', which provide additional paid leave to couples in which both parents take a substantial portion of leave while the other returns to paid work.
ITV News
an hour ago
- ITV News
UK has one of ‘worst statutory leave offers for fathers in developed world'
The UK has one of the 'worst statutory leave offers for fathers and other parents in the developed world', the chairwoman of the Women and Equalities Committee has warned. In a new report, the House of Commons committee said a maximum of two weeks' paternity leave is 'completely out of step with how most couples want to share their parenting responsibilities' and 'entrenches outdated gender stereotypes about caring'. The committee has urged the Government to either amend the Employment Rights Bill to legislate for a day one right to paid leave or commit to 'considering this vital change within its review' in consultation with employers. It has also called on the Government to consider raising paternity pay to the level of maternity pay in the first six weeks – 90% of average earnings. The paternity and shared parental leave report by the committee said working parents 'will be let down by a review that leads only to tinkering around the edges of the system'. Chairwoman of the Women and Equalities Committee Sarah Owen said the UK's parental leave system was in 'urgent need of an overhaul to fit with the reality of working parents' lives'. The Labour MP for Luton North said reform 'must start with longer and better paid paternity leave'. Ms Owen said: 'It's essential the Government's proposed review addresses the system's fundamental failings, including low statutory pay, inadequate leave periods for fathers and others, exclusion of many working parents and guardians, plus design flaws and unnecessary complexity in the Shared Parental Leave scheme. 'The UK's parental leave system has fallen far behind most comparable countries, and we now have one of the worst statutory leave offers for fathers and other parents in the developed world.' The Labour MP added: 'Ministers must commit to meaningful reforms in the medium-term, with a view to going further towards a more gender equal parental leave system. 'Tinkering around the edges of a broken system will let down working parents. While much-needed substantial change to our paid parental leave system will require considerable financial investment, this would be outweighed by wider societal and economic benefits.' The report states that the UK's rate of statutory parental pay is 'completely out of kilter with the cost of living, has not kept pace with inflation and is far below rates in most comparable countries'. It recommends phased introduction of increases to statutory pay across the system to bring rates for all working parents up to 80% or more of average earnings or the real Living Wage. The lack of provision for self-employed fathers is 'deeply unfair', the report adds. The committee recommends that the Government consider options for providing statutory paid leave for all self-employed working fathers as part of its review of the parental leave system, including introducing a paternity allowance for self-employed fathers and other parents, similar to maternity allowance. The report states that the shared parental leave system is 'extremely difficult for most parents and their employers to understand'. It said a forthcoming review must examine the function and necessity of eligibility rules, with a view to 'simplifying or removing the employment status, time in service and earnings criteria'. The committee said the review should examine approaches taken in overseas systems, including the German 'partnership bonus' and Portugal's 'sharing bonus', which provide additional paid leave to couples in which both parents take a substantial portion of leave while the other returns to paid work.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Winter fuel humiliation: After huge U-turn Rachel Reeves bizarrely claims she was 'right' to cut handout - while Sir Keir Starmer is ridiculed for suggesting move is now possible because Labour's 'fixed' stricken economy
Labour 's spending plans descended into chaos last night as Rachel Reeves backed down over winter fuel. The Chancellor said all pensioners with incomes of less than £35,000 will get the payment this winter following a huge public backlash over last year's cuts. The humiliating climbdown means nine million pensioners will receive the handout – worth up to £300 a household – at a cost of £1.25billion. Ms Reeves refused to apologise for the original decision to slash the number of those eligible for the payment – a move which triggered a collapse in Labour's poll rating. She insisted she had been 'right' to cut the payment last year. And, despite having repeatedly attacked opponents for making 'unfunded' spending pledges, she refused to say how she will pay for the U-turn. Labour MPs seized on the Chancellor's political weakness and lined up to demand that she now scrap the two-child benefit cap and cancel plans to cut disability benefits at a combined cost of £8.5billion a year, fuelling fears of further tax rises. Downing Street claimed the U-turn was possible because the economy had now 'turned a corner', despite the fact the Office for Budget Responsibility has halved official growth forecasts for this year. Sir Keir Starmer insisted Labour had ' fixed the foundations of the economy', in spite of rising unemployment and inflation. Reform leader Nigel Farage, who pledged this month to restore the payment in full, said Labour's U-turn was triggered by 'blind panic' at its collapsing poll ratings. The Treasury said the winter fuel reverse would not lead to a 'permanent rise in borrowing'. Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said this was likely to mean 'permanent additional taxes'. The move came ahead of tomorrow's spending review, when the Chancellor will announce a spending spree totalling an extra £300billion over five years – equal to £8,100 for every taxpayer in Britain. Labour minister Sir Chris Bryant said the review would mark 'the end of austerity'. But Tory business spokesman Andrew Griffith said Labour was 'massively adding to the national debt our children will have to pay and ensuring that taxes will rise and growth will fall'. Economists last night warned that the financial markets could turn on Labour if ministers were unwilling to keep spending on a 'sustainable path'. The Chancellor's decision to means test the winter fuel allowance was one of Labour's first steps in office last July. It meant that around 10million pensioners lost the previously universal benefit last winter. The decision also helped trigger a plunge in Labour's ratings and was widely blamed for the party's dismal performance in last month's local elections, when it lost two-thirds of the seats it was defending. A More in Common poll yesterday found that just 14 per cent of voters now think the Chancellor is doing a good job. Ms Reeves yesterday said she had 'listened to people's concerns'. Kemi Badenoch urged ministers to apologise for the 'callous' decision to cut eligibility for the payment last year. The Tory leader said: 'Pensioners were forced to choose between heating and eating last winter. Keir Starmer should apologise to them.' Tory work and pensions spokesman Helen Whately said the U-turn was 'most humiliating climb down a government has ever faced in its first year in office'. Ms Whately added that the cut had contributed to an extra 100,000 visits by pensioners to A&E departments last winter. 'Their mistake has hurt people and it is cowardly not to own up to it,' she said. But, asked if she would apologise, Ms Reeves said: 'The irresponsible thing to have done last year was to allow the public finances to carry on on an unsustainable footing.' She added: 'I'm always going to put stability in our economy first.' At present, only pensioners with an income of less than £11,800 are eligible for the winter fuel payment. This will treble to £35,000 this winter. It will continue to be £200 per household or £300 for the over-80s. The winter fuel retreat emboldened Labour rebels pushing for increased welfare spending. Left-winger Nadia Whittome said the episode had been a 'fiasco' for the Government and urged ministers to now abandon £5billion of cuts to disability benefits that are designed to curb the ballooning welfare budget. Bradford East MP Imran Hussain said it would be wrong to continue with 'devastating' cuts to disabled support. Former leadership contender Rebecca Long-Bailey welcomed the U-turn but said it was also 'right to lift children out of poverty' by scrapping the two-child benefit cap. The decision to restore the winter fuel payment to three-quarters of pensioners was welcomed by campaign groups. Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, said Ms Reeves' reversal 'will be a huge relief to many'. Who will now get winter fuel payments? If you are over state pension age and your income is less than £35,000 your household will now be eligible. How much is it worth? The annual payment is worth £200 per household, or £300 if someone who lives there is over 80. How do I get it? The payment will be made automatically to all pensioner households and then recouped from any that aren't eligible. Who will have to repay it? If your income is above £35,000, your payment will be 'recovered' by HMRC or you can opt out. What if my partner's income is below £35,000? Payments will be assessed on individual, not household, income. Payments are split if a household has two pensioners. In the case of a couple where one has an income above the threshold and one below it, half the total will be paid to the pensioner with the lower income. Can I just turn it down? If you know that you definitely won't qualify for a winter fuel payment, as your income is more than £35,000, you can opt out to avoid the hassle of paying it back. What if I need to pay it back? Pensioners whose income is above £35,000 and who don't opt out will need to pay all of it back. It will be repaid either via a self-assessment tax return, for those who complete one, or automatically through PAYE. The Treasury said: 'No one will need to register with HMRC for this or take any further action.' Is this plan for all of the UK? The Treasury announced this move for England and Wales, but Scotland and Northern Ireland might make separate new arrangements. Last winter, Scotland replaced the Winter Fuel Payment with the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. Northern Ireland made a one-off £100 payment to pensioners who lost their winter fuel payments. How much will this cost? The cost of reinstating Winter Fuel Payments for those now eligible is estimated at £1.25billion in England and Wales. Compared to when the payments were a universal benefit for pensioners, the savings will now only be around £450million annually.
