Political manoeuvres could cost tax payer an extra £44,000 a year
21/05/2025
Independent councillors join Conservatives group giving them an equal claim with Labour to be the “official opposition”
by Esme Kenney, Local Democracy Reporter
Taxpayers across the county could be faced with an extra bill of almost £180,000 over four years, after two opposition groups were formed on Oxfordshire County Council.
Normally only one group who have the second-largest number of seats on the county council would become the opposition.
After the May elections, the Conservative group were joined by an independent and an Independent Oxford Alliance councillor, to form the Oxfordshire Alliance.
The new group has 12 councillors, making them the joint-second largest group along with the Labour group, who also have 12 elected councillors.
The council noted that both the Oxfordshire Alliance and the Labour group would each form an opposition group at their annual meeting yesterday (Tuesday, May 20).
Speaking at the meeting, Lib Dem councillor Dan Levy, cabinet member for finance, pointed out that creating two opposition groups would lead to a “fairly large unbudgeted increase in special responsibility allowances”.
However, councillor Liam Walker, leader of the Oxfordshire Alliance, said the fund would be a “drop in the ocean”.
The leader of the opposition and shadow cabinet members are paid special responsibility allowances on top of their basic councillor allowances.
The shadow leader of the cabinet gets an added allowance £13,824 per year, while shadow cabinet members each get £3,456 per year.
The maximum additional cost to taxpayers for two opposition leaders with nine shadow cabinet members would be £44,928 per year.
If this arrangement continues, it would cost taxpayers an extra £179,712, over the course of the four years.
Councillor Liam Walker, leader of the Oxfordshire Alliance, said: “There is a very small financial implication, [but] £44,000 a year from a nearly billion-pound budget is a drop in the ocean.
“Ultimately the Conservatives got the second largest vote share across Oxfordshire, so we believe we have a mandate to form some sort of opposition.
“We will work closely with all parties to hold the Liberal Democrat administration to account.
“This is a constitution issue where there is no clear rule of what happens with the opposition group.”
He added that he looked forward to supporting independent councillor Saj Malik and Independent Oxford Alliance councillor David Henwood in standing against administration’s transport policy.
Councillor Liz Brighouse, leader of the Labour group, said: “I think we do have to look at it, but I think it is important in a democracy you have an opposition that is able to work.”
She went onto to say that she was “quite surprised” that councillors Malik and Henwood had joined the Conservatives.
She said: ““The people in the city have not voted for Conservative for years and years and years, […] and suddenly we have two, and nobody actually voted Conservative.”
There is currently nothing within the council constitution to prevent two opposition groups from forming.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
Nick Butler On 21/05/2025 at 5:58 pm
How did we get two if nobody voted conservative