We had successful local elections for Oxford West and Abingdon. I know, I know. All you hear in the news is how washed up the Lib Dems are, and how UKIP are stealing the show. It’s true we lost all our MEP’s except for Catherine Bearder, but she is from OxWAb. We got the vote out to save her job. UKIP didn’t win any council seats here. (They say they ‘don’t do well in university towns.’)
We are working hard locally to elect Layla Moran as our MP, and it will be a very close contest between us and the Tories. Part of that effort is in local elections this year, and in the campaign for the local elections next May. That’s when I stand for re-election too, so you may be hearing more from me.
We targeted six wards in 2014. We won in four of them. In Cherwell District Council, we held Kidlington North, and lost Kidlington South. In Oxford City, we held St. Margaret’s, Wolvercote, and two seats in Summertown. We failed to re-gain Oxford North (we lost it last year in a by-election). There were no elections in the Vale of White Horse.
In every ward we improved our position compared to the last time the ward was up and we were well ahead in the aggregate vote.
2014 | LD | Con | Lab | Grn | UKIP | |
J&O | 241 | 221 | 1313 | 399 | ||
North | 657 | 318 | 723 | 379 | ||
St Margs | 610 | 409 | 492 | 305 | ||
Summ | 1100 | 441 | 413 | 344 | ||
Wolv | 971 | 677 | 250 | 275 | ||
Kid N | 584 | 495 | 206 | 136 | 281 | |
Kid S | 596 | 930 | 453 | 138 | 520 | |
Total | 4759 | 3491 | 3850 | 1976 | 801 | 14877 |
31.99% | 23.47% | 25.88% | 13.28% | 5.38% | ||
2012/11 | LD | Con | Lab | Grn | UKIP | |
J&O | 149 | 214 | 835 | 337 | ||
North | 353 | 291 | 516 | 385 | ||
St Margs | 474 | 353 | 198 | 350 | ||
Summ | 753 | 379 | 246 | 418 | ||
Wolv | 655 | 584 | 200 | 495 | ||
Kid N | 771 | 757 | 295 | 221 | ||
Kid S (’11) | 396 | 1122 | 494 | 114 | ||
Total | 3551 | 3700 | 2784 | 2320 | 0 | 12355 |
28.74% | 29.95% | 22.53% | 18.78% | 0.00% |
In the European counts, Oxford delivered the third highest number of votes for the Lib Dems and the Vale the eighth highest, and the highest of any council without local elections. Catherine sent a special thank you as she saw our numbers come through.
We are proud of our success, especially in the face of national trends. If you can help us, please let me know. We can use you! I’d very much like to send Layla Moran to Westminster, and I’d like to keep my job as well.
🙂