REVEALED: the County councillors of three parties who voted for cutting essential services

The cuts coalition: Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat County Councillors all voted together to push through the budget which closes the Children's Centres (and cuts social care, slashes bus subsidies and reduces homelessness provision).

Only the Green Party County budget provided the £8m that was needed to keep the 44 Children's Centres open, now scheduled for closure in September. The Labour Party amendment was merely a transition to closure. The Labour claim that they have saved the Children's Centres is a lie. Councillor David Williams, leader of the Green Group on the County Council says:

Councillors seem to have been ashamed of how they voted. It is a legal requirement that Council votes on the annual budget must be recorded under the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014. However, the named vote was not published until the Greens pointed out the legal requirement. More than a month after the budget meeting, the named vote has finally been published (if somewhat obscurely) on the County website. This shows that only Oxfordshire's two Green County Councillors voted against the devastating County cuts budget that is resulting in the closure of the Children's Centres and massive cuts to social care, homelessness, bus subsidies and more.

David Williams adds:

The Green budget required a referendum to allow the public to decide on the Budget. We could have kept bus subsidies, support for carers, dementia services, support for the homeless and prevented all the cuts to the elderly and sick. Only the Green Councillors voted for this budget and one independent abstained. Every other Councillor of all political parties voted the Green Budget down. Specifically, nothing has changed with Labour: they are still the Tory B team.