2005 Oxfordshire County Council election

2005 Oxfordshire County Council election

← 2001 5 May 2005 2009  →
All 74 seats to Oxfordshire County Council 38 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party Third party   Party Conservative Labour Liberal Democrats Last election 26 24 18 Seats won 43 9 17 Seat change 17 15 1   Fourth party   Party Green Last election 2 Seats won 5 Seat change 3
2005 local election results in Oxfordshire
Party before election Conservative Elected Party Conservative

An election to Oxfordshire County Council took place on 5 May 2005 as part of the 2005 United Kingdom local elections, coinciding with the 2005 United Kingdom general election. 74 councillors were elected from various electoral divisions, which returned either one, two or three county councillors each by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office. This was the first election using the new electoral divisions following proposals from the Electoral Commission in 2004, meaning the council would consist of three seats more than previously.

All locally registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) who were aged 18 or over on 5 May 2005 were entitled to vote in the local elections. Those who were temporarily away from their ordinary address (for example, away working, on holiday, in student accommodation or in hospital) were also entitled to vote in the local elections, ^[1] although those who had moved abroad and registered as overseas electors cannot vote in the local elections. It is possible to register to vote at more than one address (such as a university student who had a term-time address and lives at home during holidays) at the discretion of the local Electoral Register Office, but it remains an offence to vote more than once in the same local government election. ^[2]

Summary

The election saw the Conservative Party increase their majority on the council by an extra 17 seats, with Labour slipping into third place behind the Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats maintained most of their seats and the Green party raised their seat total to five. ^[3]

Owing to a national trend of decreasing Labour share after their 2001 landslide election, the re-drawing of boundary lines, as well as the high levels of wealth and older median age of residents in the county, the results were in line with expectations.^{[ citation needed ]}

Division results

Due to the redistribution of boundary lines, all seats have been classed as new seats. Incumbent councillors have, however, been marked with an asterisk.

Abingdon East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	L. Legge*	2,136	45.8	N/A
	Conservative	A. McLernan	1,407	30.2	N/A
	Labour	R. Dacombe	748	16	N/A
	Green	S. Burchill	372	8	N/A
Majority			729	15.6	N/A
Turnout			4,663	67.1	N/A
	Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

1. "The Representation of the People (Form of Canvass) (England and Wales) Regulations 2006, Schedule Part 1". Legislation.gov.uk. 13 October 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
2. "I have two homes. Can I register at both addresses?". The Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 7 May 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
3. "Oxfordshire County Council Election Results 1973-2009" (PDF). Plymouth University. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
4. "'One of the great privileges of my life': Councillor retires after two decades". Oxford Mail. 24 April 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.

Abingdon North*

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	A. Bryden	2,057	41.5	N/A
	Conservative	A. Lovatt	1,731	34.9	N/A
	Labour	R. Eden	829	16.7	N/A
	Green	T. Lines	339	6.8	N/A

v t e Council elections in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire County Council	1889 1892 1895 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1937 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1961 1964 1967 1970 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025
Cherwell District Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Oxford City Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2021 2022 2024
South Oxfordshire District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Vale of White Horse District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
West Oxfordshire District Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
See also: Wards Boundary changes