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Tories lose control of Cherwell District Council
05/05/2023
Negotiations will now begin to see what alliances can be formed, but no discussions are likely until after the weekend
Cherwell District Council is no longer a Conservative Council. The one remaining Tory stronghold in Oxfordshire moved to having no one party with overall control when the results of Thursday’s Local Elections were announced earlier today (Friday).
Talks must now begin between the parties to see what alliances can be formed, but all the main contenders confirmed to Banbury FM at the vote count that this process would only start after their groups had met individually. That was unlikely to happen until after the Coronation weekend.
Sixteen seats were being contested when people headed to the polls on Thursday – one third of the seats on Cherwell District Council. Ahead of the election the Conservatives controlled 25 of the 48 seats available (52%). After the vote count at Spiceball Sports Centre, the final tally saw the Tories lose five seats, with both Labour and the Liberal Democrats up three, the Green Party up one and Independent candidates reduced by two.
The Conservatives are still the biggest group with 20 seats, but with that representing less than the critical 25 seats for overall control, the only way they could remain in control is in alliance with another group.
But an alliance already exists between three of the other groups at Cherwell. The Progressive Oxfordshire Alliance – a grouping of Liberal Democrat, Green and Independent councillors – has been the official opposition to the Conservatives. They now control 15 seats.
Green Party member Ian Middleton won back his Kidlington East seat claiming 57% of the vote. He told Banbury FM: “There’s likely to be a four-way alliance, but it remains to be seen if all the different members are prepared to work with each other.”
David Hingley is the Deputy Leader for the Progressive Oxfordshire Alliance and a Liberal Democrat Councillor. He said: “The Conservatives had a majority of 30 plus only a few years ago. To go from that to losing control in that short amount of time is amazing.
“As a group of Liberal Democrat councillors we will meet ASAP to talk about what we want and what we would like to do. After we’ve had those discussions there will be discussions with other parties and we’ll take it from there. Right at this moment we don’t have a set view.”
The Labour Group holds 12 seats. At this election Labour Group Leader Sean Woodcock moved across town to serve the Banbury Grimsbury and Hightown ward, where he secured 56% of the vote. He told Banbury FM that now the election was over his party would consider an alliance with the other parties.
He said: “We’ve not made any decisions or had any discussions on that. The priority up to today was winning as many seats as we could.
“Now there’s a position where no one party can run it on their own, so we’ll have a meeting after the weekend. We’ll celebrate today, watch the Coronation tomorrow and then decide what we do.”
An afternoon storm and claps of thunder outside summed up what appeared to be happening in the hall as the results were revealed. A number of glum Conservative members watched as their position of control slipped away.
Conservative Group Leader Barry Wood, who was successfully re-elected last year did not shy away from acknowledging what was happening midway through the results being announced. He told Banbury FM: “For me this isn’t the first time there’s been this scenario – the potential change of control at Cherwell because of a national backdrop. I’ve been through it before.
“So I can tell you with confidence if the council changes hands it doesn’t take long – only a couple or three years – for the reverse to happen. You come back by increments and then stay in for another twenty years.
“There is always light at the end of the tunnel I guess.”
See a full breakdown of the results here.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam