Oxford City Council

Oxford City Council
Half of council elected every other year

Coat of arms or logo

Coat of arms
Type
Type
Non-metropolitan district council of Oxford
Houses Unicameral
Term limits
 None
History
Founded 1 April 1974
Leadership
Leader
Bob Price, Labour
Lord Mayor
Mohammed Abbasi
since 9 June 2014
Structure
Seats 48
33 / 48
8 / 48
6 / 48
Independent
1 / 48
Elections
First past the post
Last election
 2014 (half of councillors)
Next election
 2016 (half of councillors)
Motto
Fortis Est Veritas
Meeting place
Oxford Town Hall, St Aldate's, Oxford
Website
http://www.oxford.gov.uk

Oxford City Council provides local government for the city of Oxford in England.

Overview

Between the 2004 local elections, and 2010 the council was in minority administration, first by councillors from the Labour Party, with the Liberal Democrats being the official opposition. In 2006 these roles were reversed, although two years later the council returned to being run by a minority Labour administration.[1] before they took full control in 2010. Despite the stereotypical view of Oxford as a conservative city, there are no elected Conservatives on the city council, although two Liberal Democrat councillors briefly sat as Conservatives during 2007–8. With five city councillors and two county councillors, Oxford has one of the highest Green Party representation for a British city. The Independent Working Class Association was represented for a decade between 2002 and 2012.

Since 2002, elections have been held for Oxford City Council in even years, with each councillor serving a term of four years. Each electoral ward within Oxford is represented by two councillors, thus all wards elect one councillor at each election. Prior to 2002, the City Council was elected by thirds.

In early 2003, the Oxford City Council submitted a bid to become a unitary authority.[2] This was received by Communities and Local Government[3] but subsequently rejected.[4][5][6]

Since 2008, Oxford City Council has been undergoing a programme of Business Transformation which has now been delivered in to the City Council.[7]

Oxford City Council contains all of the Oxford East parliamentary constituency, which was won by Labour in the 2010 General Election with an increased majority but was until then a highly marginal seat with the Liberal Democrats.[8] The Council also covers part of the Oxford West and Abingdon parliamentary constituency, which was won from the Liberal Democrats by the Conservatives at the 2010 General Election, albeit with a very small majority.

Statistics

Political group leaders and senior politicians for the Oxford City Council (outgoing council at the election in 2010). From left to right: Jonathan Gittos candidate for the Conservatives, Councillor Stephen Brown leader of the political group of Liberal Democrats, Councillor John Tanner senior member of the Labour group, Councillor Craig Simmons leader of the Green group.
Partisan composition
Year Labour Lib Dem Green IWCA Independent Conservative Source
2000 21 21 7 1 0 1 [9]
2002 29 15 3 1 0 0 [9]
2004 20 18 7 3 0 0 [10]
2006 17 19 8 4 0 0 [11]
2008 23 16 7 2 0 0 [1]
2010 26 16 5 1 0 0 [12][13]
2012 29 13 5 0 1 0 [14]
2014 33 8 6 0 1 0 [15]
Partisan control
Majority control of Oxford City Council
Years Party
2010–present Labour
2004–2010 No overall control
2002–2004 Labour
2000–2002 No overall control
1980–2000 Labour
1976–1980 Conservative
1973–1976 Labour

Councillors

Ward Name   Party Last Elected First Elected
Barton and Sandhills Van Coulter Labour 2014 2010
Barton and Sandhills Mike Rowley Labour 2012 2012
Blackbird Leys Rae Humberstone Labour 2014 2005
Blackbird Leys Linda Smith Labour Nov 2014 Nov 2014
Carfax Ruthi Brandt Green 2014 2014
Carfax Alex Hollingsworth Labour 2014 (byelection) 2014 (byelection)
Churchill Susan Brown Labour 2014 2014
Churchill Mark Lygo Labour 2012 2008
Cowley David Henwood Labour 2014 (byelection) 2014 (byelection)
Cowley Christine Simm Labour 2014 2014
Cowley Marsh Mohammed Abbasi Labour 2014 2002 (in St Marys)
Cowley Marsh Sajjad Malik Labour 2012 2004 (as a Lib Dem)
Headington Mohammed Altaf-Khan Liberal Democrat 2014 2006 (in HH&N)
Headington Ruth Wilkinson Liberal Democrat 2012 2008
Headington Hill and Northway Farida Anwar Labour 2014 2014
Headington Hill and Northway Roy Darke Labour 2012 2009 (byelection)
Hinksey Park Bob Price Labour 2014 1983
Hinksey Park Oscar Van Nooijen Labour 2012 2006 (byelection)
Holywell David Thomas Green 2014 2014
Holywell Sam Hollick Green 2012 2012
Iffley Fields Richard Tarver Labour 2014 2014
Iffley Fields Elise Benjamin Green 2012 2004
Jericho and Osney Susanna Pressel Labour 2014 1996
Jericho and Osney Colin Cook Labour 2012 2005 (byelection)
Littlemore Gill Sanders Labour 2014 c. 1994
Littlemore John Tanner Labour 2012 2002
Lye Valley Ben Lloyd-Shogbesan Labour 2014 2010
Lye Valley Pat Kennedy Labour 2012 2012
Marston Mary Clarkson Labour 2014 c. 1998
Marston Mick Haines Independent 2012 2012
North Louise Upton Labour 2014 2013 (byelection)
North James Fry Labour 2012 2012
Northfield Brook Scott Seamons Labour 2014 2010
Northfield Brook Sian Taylor Labour Nov 2014 Nov 2014
Quarry and Risinghurst Dee Sinclair Labour 2014 2002
Quarry and Risinghurst Chewe Munkonge Labour 2014 (by election) 2014 (by election)
Rose Hill and Iffley Michele Paule Labour 2014 2014
Rose Hill and Iffley Edward Turner Labour 2012 2002
St Clement's Tom Hayes Labour 2014 2014
St Clement's Bev Clack Labour 2012 2012
St Margaret's Elizabeth Wade Liberal Democrat 2014 2014
St Margaret's Gwynneth Royce Liberal Democrat 2012 2004
St Mary's Dick Wolff Green 2014 2010
St Mary's Craig Simmons Green 2012 2012
Summertown Jean Fooks Liberal Democrat 2014 1992
Summertown Andrew Gant Liberal Democrat 2014 (additional general) 2014
Wolvercote John Goddard Liberal Democrat 2014 1996
Wolvercote Michael Gotch Liberal Democrat 2012 2008

Climate change

Oxford City Council was the first UK authority to divest from fossil fuel companies in September 2014.[16]

See also

References

External links