Councillors condemn 'disgraceful' election letter

Opposition councillors have accused Oxford City Council's leader of refusing to back elections in May, despite a majority speaking against postponement.

Ministers offered councils the chance to delay the vote if they were struggling to deliver the elections alongside major reorganisation.

The Labour leader of the authority, Susan Brown said her letter "did exactly what was promised" and "made clear that a majority of councillors wanted the May 2026 elections".

The Green party, who are in favour of going ahead with May's election, said the letter included "spurious reasons" to delay.

Liberal Democrat councillors have also criticised the letter, saying it "defies a clear majority of councillors" that spoke against a delay at a specially-held meeting on Wednesday.

Group leader Chris Smowton said: "When the Minister wrote to councils in December, they suggested they would be minded to go ahead with elections when a council says there is 'no reason for postponement', and to cancel them 'for those councils who raise capacity concerns'.

"This letter definitely does not say the former and devotes half its word count to concerns, so in my view this is as clear an invitation to cancellation as is possible without asking outright."

Plans were announced in December 2024 that will see Oxfordshire's current two-tier system of councils abolished and replaced with one or more unitary authorities.

The change is set to happen in 2028, with "shadow elections" being held in 2027.

In the letter, Brown said there were "strong arguments" for holding elections this year, but said there was also a "case for postponing elections to a council that will not exist in two years' time".

She added: "Holding elections this year represents an additional burden on already stretched resources.

"It will also cost the council £250k – funds that might better be used to manage the transition to a new unitary authority."

Green group leader Chris Jarvis described the letter as "disgraceful".

He said: "I would urge the government to listen to the overwhelming majority of councillors in Oxford.

"If the government now chooses to cancel elections this year as a result of this letter, the people of Oxford will not forgive the Labour Party for running scared of the voters and refusing to allow them to give their verdict on this council's record."

In response, Brown said the claims made by opposition councillors about the letter were "inaccurate and deeply misleading".

She said: "My response did exactly what was promised: it made clear that a majority of councillors wanted the May 2026 elections to go ahead, while also setting out —responsibly and transparently — the risks that holding elections could pose to the council's capacity to deliver local government reorganisation."

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