04-04-2025
Local Elections 2025: Five things to watch in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is heading for what is likely to be its last ever county council election. Over the next few weeks, the BBC will be finding out about the issues that matter to you with Your Voice Your questions and points will be put straight to the parties and candidates hoping to win your ahead of polls opening on May 1, what else do you need to know?
The last ever?
This is probably your last-ever chance to vote in an election for Oxfordshire County Council. The government has announced its intention to scrap the current two-tier system of local government - with both districts and a county areas have been "fast-tracked", meaning they will not have planned elections this May and will instead push on with reorganisation and 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with changes set to be in put in place in this point, the county council will no longer exist and will have been replaced by one or more unitary authorities, along with a regional elected mayor.
There is everything to play for
Although Oxfordshire County Council probably will not exist for much longer, candidates will still be fighting hard for your authority will play a crucial role in shaping local government going forward and will still have time to implement - or scrap - major policies such as planned new traffic balance of power really is on a knife edge, and extra seats will be available 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 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 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 with an increasingly volatile electorate - as seen at last year's general election - the result is hard to predict.
Farewell to double hatters
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 that will change at the election on May van Mierlo, the Liberal Democrat MP for Henley, is stepping down as both a district and county Miller, the Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester & Woodstock, is not standing for re-election to the county 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 is now listed as "vacant" and will therefore have a by-election on May 1.
Independents' Day?
The number of independent councillors has increased in recent years across Oxfordshire's Independent Oxford Alliance gained four seats on Oxford City Council in last year's local voters appear to become more disillusioned with politicians, will they be looking beyond the main political parties parties for answers?
A test for Reform
Reform UK, and its previous incarnation the Brexit Party, has so far failed to make major inroads into local politics in party only gained its first councillors here in March, when two Conservatives on the county council defected to Reform or not those two councillors can hold onto their seats when standing for a different party will be a clear test of Reform UK's appeal in Oxfordshire.
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