David Williams, councillor for Iffley Fields and St. Mary's

After failing in 2017, the Government, with the support of the Tory-run Oxfordshire County Council, look set to again try and reorganise the City and County Councils. A new Devolution White Paper - to be published in early September 2020 - is widely expected to revive previously rejected 'One Oxfordshire' proposals to create a single unitary authority. This would see Oxford City Council abolished, along with the four neighbouring district councils, and replaced with a new, most-likely Tory-run Countywide Council. Based on current and historical voting, this would most-likely be Tory-run. At the time, Green County Councillor David Williams called the plans 'crazy'. 

No one can say for certain what changes a Tory-run Council would make to the City. However, historically the County Conservatives have not supported a number of policies which have been backed by the people of Oxford and its councillors, for example, policies on affordable housing, homelessness, the Oxford Living Wage and climate change.

They have also taken a very different approach to how the council provide services. Whereas Oxford has continued to operate its own services and held on to its assets, the County Conservatives have chosen to privatise services and sell-off assets. This means that as Government funding has reduced Oxford has not suffered any serious service cuts or redundancies in recent years.

Of course, Oxford City Council is far from perfect but it is far more accountable and far more reflective of the electorate it serves than the Conservative majority that pervades the rest of the County.

We want to re-ignite our campaign to SAVE OXFORD FROM TORY RULE. Sign our petition and let the Tories, Labour and LibDem Councillors on Oxfordshire County Council know that you do not want to see Oxford City Council abolished and Oxford ruled by Tories.

The Labour-run City Council have seized direct control of East Oxford Community Centre (EOCC) on the Cowley Road) and plan to sell off half the Community Centre site and 'improve' the rest (funded by further sell-offs; East Oxford Games Hall and the Film Oxford building).

The Centre was run by the East Oxford Community Association before the Council power-grab. The Centre is home to many local groups (including Fusion Arts & Oxford Action Resource Centre) and most nights all available rooms are booked out. Both the Games Hall and Film Oxford are also well used.

The Greens are contesting claims by Labour that they can re-provide 'improved' facilities on a site half the current size whilst incorporating those activities previously carried out in the Film Oxford building and East Oxford Games Hall. 

The Greens have put forward an alternative solution - to instead develop land in nearby Cave Street for housing and instead redevelop the Community Centre land for use by social and community enterprises.  This will provide MORE housing and retain the integrity of the EOCC site. 

Oxford is now the most unaffordable place to live in the UK. Houses cost more than 11 times average wages. The country and Oxford's council have a housing crisis on their hands.

Too often, people paying rent get poor service from rogue agencies and landlords. Greens want to take action to drive up standards in rented housing and to tackle the burden of rent.

We believe that access to housing is a human right—the council must do more to meet the housing needs of people in Oxford. Greens support increasing the number of council and social homes available to those who need them.

No council houses have been completed in the last year in Oxford. So when suitable houses become available on the local market, Oxford City Council should purchase them to increase the council housing stock.

When you have volunteered to help the Oxfordshire Green Party, please tell us something about your skills.

For some tasks, we need specialist skills, hence this long list.

But most tasks anyone can do, given the training we provide.

We need to build Oxfordshire back better

Not only is there is a climate emergency, we have many more people in Oxfordshire struggling to make ends meet and using food banks.

We need to get Green councillors elected to voice the concerns of the vulnerable and insecure in our midst, and to take the urgent steps needed to build a sustainable recovery that would see Oxfordshire carbon neutral by 2030.

We are up against well-funded party machines, but the Green Party knows that building grass root support can help us to win.  In 2019 Oxfordshire elected 8 new Green councillors. The green party now jointly control one council.

Whatever your skills, there is something you can do to help get Green Councillors elected. Fill in the form below, and one of our volunteers will get in touch to talk about how you would like to become involved.

THANK YOU!