Oxfordshire County Council

Oxfordshire County Council
Type
Type	County council
Leadership
Chair	Felix Bloomfield, Conservative since 16 May 2023 [1]
Leader	Liz Leffman, Liberal Democrat since 18 May 2021
Chief Executive	Martin Reeves since March 2023 [2]
Structure
Seats	63 councillors
Political groups	Administration (24)   Liberal Democrat (21)   Green Party (3) Opposition (39)   Conservative (21)   Labour (14)   Henley Residents Group (1)   Independent (3)
Length of term	4 years
Elections
Voting system	First past the post
Last election	6 May 2021
Next election	May 2025
Motto
Sapere aude (Dare to be wise) [3]
Meeting place
County Hall, New Road, Oxford, OX1 1ND
Website
www.oxfordshire.gov.uk

Oxfordshire County Council is the county council (upper-tier local authority) for the non-metropolitan county of Oxfordshire in the South East of England. Established in 1889, it is an elected body responsible for most strategic local government services in the county.

Oxfordshire County Council provides a wide range of services, including education (schools, libraries and youth services), social services, public health, highway maintenance, waste disposal, emergency planning, consumer protection and town and country planning for matters to do with minerals, waste, highways and education. ^[4] This makes it one of the largest employers in Oxfordshire, with a gross expenditure budget of £856.2 million in 2021–22. ^{[5] [6]}

History

County councils were first introduced in England and Wales with full powers from 1 April 1889 as a result of the Local Government Act 1888, taking over administrative functions until then carried out by the unelected quarter sessions. ^[7] The areas they covered were termed administrative counties and were not in all cases identical to the traditional shire counties.

The first elections to the new county council were held in January 1889. At the first meeting, several aldermen were elected.

Schools (both primary and secondary) were added to the County Council's responsibilities in 1902, and until the 1990s it was also responsible for operating Colleges of Further Education.

Oxfordshire County Council has seen a changing pattern of lower-tier authorities existing alongside it within its area, responsible for more local services, such as housing and waste collection. Until 1974, the county had a large number of urban district and rural district councils. In 1974, local government was reorganised in England and Wales generally under the Local Government Act 1972, and Oxfordshire was enlarged to take in areas previously in Berkshire. Within its new area, dozens of former urban and rural districts were amalgamated into five non-metropolitan districts: Oxford, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire.

Political control

The first election to the reconstituted county council following the Local Government Act 1972 was held in 1973. It operated as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since then has been as follows: ^[8]

Party in control		Years
	Conservative	1974–1985
	No overall control	1985–2005
	Conservative	2005–2013
	No overall control	2013–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2001 have been: ^[9]

Councillor	Party		From	To
Keith Mitchell		Conservative	2001	15 May 2012
Ian Hudspeth		Conservative	15 May 2012	9 May 2021
Liz Leffman		Liberal Democrats	18 May 2021

Composition

See also: Liberal Democrat–Green Party alliance

As of September 2023, the sitting administration is Liberal Democrat/Green, after the Labour Party left the coalition. ^[10] The council's full composition is as follows:

Party		Councillors
	Conservative	21*
	Liberal Democrats	21
	Labour	14*
	Green Party	3
	Henley Residents Group	1
	Independent	3

*In the election for the seat of Banbury Ruscote, the Conservative candidate's vote count was erroneously reversed with the winning Labour candidate's, such that the Conservative candidate was declared elected. This would have left the Conservatives on 22 seats, and Labour on 15. A legal challenge was launched by Labour and the result corrected to a Labour win. ^{[11] [12]}

At the 2021 election, the Conservative Party lost seats primarily at the expense of Liberal Democrat gains, including the Conservative leader Ian Hudspeth, who had served as leader since May 2012 and a councillor since 2005. ^[13] This was their worst performance in Oxfordshire since the modern council's inception in 1973. Likewise, this was the highest number of seats the Liberal Democrats had held on this council. ^[14] Liberal Democrat and Green councillors currently form a joint group known as the Liberal Democrat Green Alliance. ^[15]

Elections

Main article: Oxfordshire County Council elections

Since 1889, members have been elected for a term of office, with elections held all together (initially every three years, later every four years) by the "first past the post" system. Until the 1970s, the elected members chose aldermen, whose term of office was for six years, and who once appointed were also voting members of the council. This form of membership was ended by the Local Government Act 1972, so that after 1974 only honorary (that is, non-voting) aldermen could be appointed. ^[16]

Notable members

Oxfordshire County Council Chairs, 1889 to 1974

Oxfordshire County Council Chairs, 1991 to 2005

• Sir Jervoise Athelstane Baines, member 1917–22, later Indian Civil Service administrator
• Jonathan Baume, member 1974–77, trade unionist
• Catherine Bearder MEP, member
• Angela Billingham, member 1993–94, later Baroness Billingham ^[17]
• William Bradshaw, Baron Bradshaw, member 1993–2008 ^[18]
• Peter Butler, member 1985–89, later Member of Parliament for North East Milton Keynes ^[19]
• Sherman Stonor, 6th Baron Camoys, member ^[20]
• Julia Drown, member 1989–96, later Member of Parliament for South Swindon ^[21]
• Michael Patrick Fogarty, member 1981–89, academic
• Olive Gibbs, chairman 1974–1975 and 1981–1982
• Simon Hoare, member, later Member of Parliament for North Dorset
• John Howell, member 2004–09, later Member of Parliament for Henley ^[22]
• Caroline Lucas, member 1993–97, later Member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion
• George Parker, 7th Earl of Macclesfield, chairman 1937–70 ^[23]
• James Plaskitt, member 1985–97, later Member of Parliament for Warwick and Leamington
• Geoffrey Somerset, 6th Baron Raglan, member 1988–1993
• John Redwood, member 1973–77, later Member of Parliament for Wokingham
• Larry Sanders, member 2005–13, Green Party Spokesperson for Health and brother of US Senator Bernie Sanders

Meat and dairy ban controversy

In 2021, the Liberal Democrat/Green/Labour administration moved a motion at Full Council to serve only plant-based (vegan) meals at all council-catered events and meetings, and vegan school meals in primary schools two days a week as part of its climate change action policy. ^[24] The move was unsuccessfully fought by the Conservative opposition. This policy was controversial and drew protests from livestock farmers and TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson, who owns a farm in the county. ^{[25] [26]} As a result of the controversy, when the motion came to the council's Cabinet for ratification in March 2022, the proposals were scaled back to cover just seven council meetings and school meals only one day a week. ^[27] In November 2022, the Conservatives unsuccessfully sought to cancel vegan meals at council-catered events, which cost £6,000 annually and are purchased from a Kidlington business which sources food from Woodstock. ^[28]

See also

• List of electoral wards in Oxfordshire

Notes

1. "Councillor Felix Bloomfield becomes new Chair of Oxfordshire County Council". Oxfordshire County Council. 16 May 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
2. "Martin Reeves". Centre for Cities. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
3. "Camelot International, Britain's heritage and history" . Retrieved 9 November 2011.
4. "Council services". Oxfordshire County Council. Archived from the original on 27 November 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
5. Your Council Tax Explained page 6, published by Oxfordshire County County March 2021
6. https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/sites/default/files/file/council-tax-and-finance-spending/CouncilTaxleaflet2021-22.pdf ^{[ bare URL PDF ]}
7. Edwards, John, ed. (1955). "County". Chambers' Encyclopedia. London: George Newnes. pp. 189–191.
8. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
9. "Council minutes". Oxfordshire County Council. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
10. https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/23810208.labour-quits-coalition-running-oxfordshire-county-council/
11. "Labour candidate makes legal challenge after election result". Oxford Mail. 11 May 2021.
12. "Banbury councillor reappointed after Oxfordshire election result mix-up". BBC News Online . 12 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
13. "Councillor details - Councillor Ian Hudspeth". mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk. 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
14. "Oxfordshire County Council Election Results 1973-2009" (PDF). Retrieved 9 May 2021.
15. "Councillor details - Councillor Liz Leffman". 21 April 2022.
16. Padfield, Colin Frank (1975). British constitution made simple. London: W. H. Allen & Co. p. 291.
17. 'BILLINGHAM, Baroness', in Who's Who (London: A. & C. Black); online edition (subscription required) by Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 1 December 2011
18. 'BRADSHAW, Baron cr 1999 (Life Peer), of Wallingford in the county of Oxfordshire', in Who's Who (London: A. & C. Black); online edition (subscription required) by Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 30 November 2011
19. 'BUTLER, Peter', in Who's Who (London: A. & C. Black); online edition (subscription required) by Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 30 November 2011
20. 'CAMOYS, 6th Baron' in Who's Who (London: A. & C. Black); online edition (subscription required) by Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 1 December 2011
21. 'DROWN, Julia Kate' in Who's Who (London: A. & C. Black); online edition (subscription required) by Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 1 December 2011
22. 'HOWELL, John Michael' in Who's Who (London: A. & C. Black); online edition (subscription required) by Oxford University Press, accessed 1 December 2011
23. 'MACCLESFIELD, 7th Earl of', in Who Was Who (London: A. & C. Black); online edition (subscription required) by Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 30 November 2011
24. "Agenda item - Motion by Councillor Ian Middleton". 14 December 2021.
25. "Jeremy Clarkson fails to stop Oxfordshire council vegan switch". BBC News. 15 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
26. "APPROVED: County council will now serve vegan food at meetings and school lunches". Oxford Mail. 15 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
27. https://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/documents/s59862/CA_MAR1522R06%20Plant%20Based%20Food%20Cabinet%20Paper%20final%20002.pdf ^{[ bare URL PDF ]}
28. Harland, Gee (3 November 2022). "'Plans to scrap vegan lunches at Oxfordshire Council fail'". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 4 November 2022.

External links

• Official website