Oxford City Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrat Group on Oxford City Council

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20 Most Recent News Stories

Dr Evan Harris MP supports Jericho community at boatyard planning appeal

Mon 18th Aug 2008

The MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, Dr Evan Harris (right), has attended four full days of the planning appeal - being heard in public before a planning inspector in Oxford Town Hall - on Spring Developments' proposal to build flats on the canalside and prevent any future boatyard activity on the site. Dr Harris will address the inspector on Tuesday in support of local residents in their bid to preserve facilities for boaters. He will also urge the inspector to kick out the appeal on another key issue - the inadequate amount of affordable housing in the proposal.

Dr Evan Harris MP on the canal towpath by Jericho, St Barnabas church tower in the background (photography: Alan Armitage)

Improvements to Oxford's play areas "massively overdue" say Lib Dems

Wed 6th Aug 2008

The Labour administration on Oxford City Council has announced significant new budget for improving and maintaining Oxford's play areas, but the Lib Dems are asking who will lose out.

Alan Armitage in front of Aristotle Lane play area (photography: Alan Armitage)

Labour in Oxford failing to help with energy price rises

Mon 4th Aug 2008

Oxford City Council's Liberal Democrats have accused the Labour administration of back-tracking on climate change issues. In particular, the council is failing to respond to the problems caused by dramatic increases in fuel costs.

OAP fire

Lib Dems advance in 2008 Oxford elections

Sat 3rd May 2008

The Liberal Democrats have gained seats in the 2008 local elections. The Leader of the city's two Tory councillors was ousted from his Carfax seat by veteran Liberal Democrat Stephen Brown. The Conservatives now have no councillors in Oxford and have not won an election in Oxford City for eight years. In neighbouring Holywell ward, Nathan Pyle took the ward for the Liberal Democrats from the Green party, who are now in decline in Oxford.

The Bridge of Sighs, Oxford

Lib Dems Choose Rundle as Group Leader

Sat 3rd May 2008

The Liberal Democrat group on Oxford City Council have elected David Rundle, the Headington Councillor and former Deputy leader of the council, as their new group leader. He will be Leader of the Opposition, after Labour's gains from minor parties gave it a plurality of councillors in Oxford City. Elected unanimously, Rundle was nominated for the post by outgoing Leader of the City Council John Goddard.

Cllrs David Rundle and Stephen Tall campaigning to cut crime in Headington (photography: Stephen Tall)

Oxford's Labour MP votes to close city Post Offices - Huzzey

Fri 28th Mar 2008

Holywell councillor Richard Huzzey has challenged Labour MP Andrew Smith's vote to axe city post offices in a letter to the Oxford Mail. After posing for the paper's photographer with a readers' petition against the closures, Andrew Smith MP voted for the government cuts.

Dundee LibDem councillor highlights Post Office fears

Changes to City Council "impressive" under Lib Dems - Independent Audit

Fri 28th Mar 2008

Lib Dem changes at Oxford City Council have won praise from the independent Audit Commission, which assesses the value-for-money of all Councils. After a quarter of a century of Labour mismanagement, they said that the Council was "high cost, low value" for local residents. In their 2008 report - just published - they say that in two years of minority Lib Dem leadership "the pace of change and improvement has been impressive".

Lib Dems on Oxford City Council's Executive Board

Steve challenges Labour MP's City Post Office hypocrisy

Thu 20th Mar 2008

Liberal Democrat candidate for Oxford East Steve Goddard has challenged Andrew Smith MP to a public debate on the future of Oxford city's post offices after accusing him of saying one thing to his electorate and another in the House of Commons on post office closures.

Lib Dems Steve Goddard and Cllr. Richard Huzzey campaigning against planned Post Office closures (photography: Richard Huzzey)

John Goddard slams Labour-Green council tax hike

Thu 28th Feb 2008

In a letter to the Oxford Times, City Council leader John Goddard has slammed Labour's and the Greens' council tax hike. He writes:

John Goddard, Lib Dem Leader of Oxford City Council (photography: Tony Brett)

Lib Dems question Labour MP's poor deal for Oxford

Fri 8th Feb 2008

Liberal Democrats in the city Oxford are calling on Oxford East MP Andrew Smith to explain why he backed a cash settlement for Oxford City Council that is below the average rise given to other councils.

Stephen Tall collecting signatures for the petition (photography: Stephen Tall)

Lib Dems campaign for food waste collections to reduce landfill

Thu 24th Jan 2008

Oxford's Lib Dem city council has announced it intends to start up a pilot scheme this spring to ensure food waste can be collected from more than 6,500 properties in the city. Assuming it's successful, the pilot will be widened to include the whole of Oxford.

Bulldozer in rubbish landfill site. (photography: Courtesy of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory at the United States of America's Department of Energy)

City Lib Dems welcome Nick Clegg's New Year Message

Tue 8th Jan 2008

New Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has launched his leadership with an annual message criticising Gordon Brown's record and Labour's plans for identity cards.

Nick Clegg

Real Action Needed On Flood Funding - Goddard

Sun 23rd Sep 2007

Leader of Oxford City Council, John Goddard, has spoken at the Liberal Democrats' annual conference in favour of greater national resources to combat flooding. In his speech, he blasted spin from Labour that offered new relief by 2010 but barely adjusted existing funds for inflation.

John Goddard, Lib Dem Leader of Oxford City Council (photography: Tony Brett)

Lib Dems React To City's Unitary Failure

Wed 28th Mar 2007

On hearing news of Oxford City Council's failure to secure unitary status, Lib Dem Leader of the Council John Goddard has vowed to concentrate on continuing to improve its performance. Less than a year after Lib Dems took control at the Town Hall, the City's record is improving after years of Labour chaos, which ultimately scuppered the bid. "It's a bad decision, bad for democracy. This is a short-sighted decision. The arguments for a unitary Oxford will not go away," said John.

John Goddard, Lib Dem Leader of Oxford City Council (photography: Tony Brett)

Pro-NHS Petition Just What Doctor Ordered - Scanlan

Mon 19th Mar 2007

Lib Dem spokesperson on the city Health Scrutiny committee, Cllr. Chris Scanlan, has backed a new campaign by Oxford East campaigner Steve Goddard against Oxfordshire NHS cuts. "This is just what the doctor ordered," said Chris. "People all over the city will want to support the work Steve is doing - and Dr. Evan Harris MP in Oxford West - to oppose Labour's mad cuts."

Latest Bomb Attacks Shame Lab Protesters Further - Huzzey

Tue 27th Feb 2007

Reacting to news that a bomb attack on Templeton College was averted this week, city Lib Dems have renewed their condemnation of violence and criticism of the SPEAK campaign against the Oxford animal research laboratory.

Cllr. Richard Huzzey and Dr. Evan Harris MP support animal medical research

Oxford Mail: "Electorate behind Recycling Revolution"

Tue 20th Feb 2007

The Oxford Mail has come out in support of Oxford's Recycling Revolution. In its editorial today, the paper argues that Oxford can make of a success of a scheme that's worked elsewhere, and praises the improvement in our recycling rate - one of the worst in the country until recently. We reprint the editorial in full:

Oxford Mail editorial supporting recycling (photography: Richard Huzzey)

Greens and Labour Recycling Cowardice Slammed

Tue 20th Feb 2007

Lib Dem blogger of the year and city councillor Stephen Tall has slammed Labour and Green councillors who have flip-flopped on the recycling scheme they backed just months ago. While environmentalists in the city celebrate a rise in recycling from 19% to 27% - with only a third of Oxford using the improved scheme - partisans are trying to score points off teething problems with it. The system will take time in bedding in, but the principles behind it have been proven elsewhere and can double Oxford's recycling rate. Stephen writes on his blog:

Black bags on the street

Council Officers Slam U-Turn Councillors

Tue 20th Feb 2007

The Lib Dem administration knew when we introduced the 'recycling revolution' we'd get some flak: anything new takes some getting used to. What has surprised us is the deeply negative posturing of some Labour councillors who have absolutely no interest in recycling, but every interest in whipping up controversy for their own political ends. They have unleashed a torrent of public abuse against Cllr Jean Fooks (the portfolio holder responsible for rubbish and recycling), and made a series of unsubstantiated allegations against Council staff. Unsurprisingly, some of those staff are fed up with this attitude, and have hit back.

Cllr. Jean Fooks launching Oxford's new recycling scheme (photography: Richard Huzzey)

Lib Dem Budget (3): Below-inflation Council Tax Battle Won

Sat 17th Feb 2007

"Oxford city's budget is set… thankfully. And I'm delighted to say that much of the Lib Dem administration's budget survived the evening's negotiations between groups - not all by any means," said Cllr. Stephen Tall. "But as no one party in Oxford commands a majority no one group's budget was ever going to be passed. Still, we're pretty happy with the overall deal. Here's the highlights:

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