Oscar Idle for Donnington and Iffley Fields & St. Mary's

Biography

Why I am standing

As a young person, I feel that I have a lot at stake in the planet's future. This is part of the reason why I will do everything I can to protect nature and biodiversity, and help everyone along through a rapid green transition involving more cycling and public transport, energy efficient homes, and the creation of green jobs.

I will support social and affordable housing projects, and campaign for all new builds to have net zero carbon emissions.

How I will campaign

If canvassing will be possible this year, I will be going door to door every day of the year to really listen to people and understand their concerns.

Due to COVID-19, it is likely that we will need to win with an online campaign. Due to my experience with media strategy, and due to my strong connections to the community, I am in a prime position to campaign through social media, and to really engage with people. 

With the energy, drive and passion behind my campaign, I will be able to mobilise people who have never voted before, and particularly young people, to turn out in the masses come May.

Skills and time commitment

I will be campaigning every day of the week, whether online or door to door. If elected to both city and county council, I will dedicate myself full time to my role as a councillor. 

Michelle Stewart for Donnington and Iffley Fields & St. Mary's

Biography

I am passionate about community, inclusion and diversity. I believe the Green Party is Oxford deserve a stronger voice both in the City Council and County and residents deserve to be supported by Green Party councillors. I know Oxford really well, have worked for many of the large organisations based here - Oxfam, Brookes, University and know the City well.

I enjoy locally driven issues and directly supporting residents. Through my professional experience as a project manager, am skilled at stakeholder engagement, policy documentation and am quick at understanding complex materials.

I feel my personality, energy and professional background make me a strong candidate both as a City Councillor and County Councillor to represent residents, the Green Party and hold decisions to account.

Why I am standing

I am standing to provide representation to the residents, business' in the Donnington Ward area. I believe in the importance of local politics and ensuring that City Council and County Council decision making is placed through rigour and correctly reflects the needs of the community. I feel it is important the residents voices are heard - not just those who shout the loudest, but all voices are given a space to be heard and considered. I would take the time to communicate well with residents outlining why decisions have been taken and discussing their impact.

How I will campaign

Visibility, engagement and listening. It is vital to listen to local residents and business' voices and genuinely listen to their concerns. Regular communication, regular visibility backed by a strong Green Party vision. Meet people in the community, understand the community and create a dialogue that creates a sense of collaboration and engagement with the Green Party and myself as a candidate.

Skills and time commitment

I love campaigning and have huge energy for a campaign. I enjoy connecting with residents, raising visibility and profile building. Am able to give time to this election campaign and hope to both run and win an election. Am flexible, easy going and supportive and also create an environment of fun when campaigning and working with other volunteers.

If elected, I would take the role and responsibility seriously and ensure that both the Green Party and residents are well and fully represented - again this would be by constantly raising a profile in the community and broader City and County.

Last week people came to Oxford to discuss how we could quickly get to zero net carbon dioxide production around the world. Here are video recordings of their talks at the public meeting chaired by Lord Mayor of Oxford, Green councillor Craig Simmons.

Watch and learn and then go out to support today's Global Climate Strike.

This is a call for candidates to stand for the Green Party at the 2021 elections to councils in Oxfordshire.

We need more Green councillors in Oxfordshire. Could you follow in the footsteps of our Green Party councillors in Oxford, and stand for election? You could improve the quality of our councils by representing the people and views that the governing parties ignore.

Act now

If you are at all interested in standing as a candidate, or helping organise a campaign for a candidate, please complete the form below, and the Elections Committee will get back to you with more details.

If you want any more information on what is involved in standing as candidate, please contact the Elections Co-ordinator, David Newman.

We are looking for both target candidates, who will work hard to win in May 2021, and non-target candidates who need to do as little as getting their name on the ballot paper so that people can vote everywhere for a Green Party candidate.

On Halloween Keith Taylor MEP come to give us a fright: about air pollution in cities like Oxford and towns like Watlington. At a public meeting in Oxford Town Hall he was joined by Dr. Imad Ahmed who has discovered a possible connection between traffic pollution and Alzheimer's disease, and Chris Church of Oxford FOE.

Read more to view video recordings of their speech and find out what you can do to make Oxford a breathable city.

I’ve been living in Barton since 2015. I was disgusted when Labour and LibDem councillors on Oxfordshire County Council voted with the Tories for heavy cuts to social care, children’s centres, public transport and other vital local services. 

The Green Party gives people across Oxfordshire a chance to vote against these vicious attacks on people’s livelihoods. We have a costed and affordable budget that will keep Oxfordshire running without austerity.

As well as standing for the County Council, I am also the Green Party candidate for a by-election to the City Council. The two councils have different responsibilities, but the same principles guide me in both cases.

To vote for me is to vote for:

• Decent, well-funded social care.
• Affordable, sustainable housing, with housebuilding linked to local services to reduce pressure on roads.
• Good comprehensive education for all – not grammar schools, private schools or academies.
• A pedestrian-friendly Oxford, with efficient and accessible public transport.
• The right of EU citizens – such as many staff in our local hospitals – to live and work in Britain.

As your councillor you can expect to see me around the area – in the street, in the shops, at the doctor’s surgery and in Barton chippy. I teach in various parts of Oxfordshire for the Workers’ Educational Association, while also working part-time for the Peace Pledge Union. I have been involved in grassroots campaigning since I was a teenager, over 20 years ago.

My political values were formed when I was growing up in the Midlands in the 1980s. Living in a council house as Thatcher attacked the working class, I saw the effects of inequality all around me. Now it’s even worse. Austerity is an outrage in one of the richest countries in the world. Much of the world's wealth is in the hands of a tiny number of people. The Tories pursue the interests of the super-rich at the expense of the rest of us. The Labour Party fails to stand up to them.

This is of course a local election, not a national one. But the same principles apply: we need to share resources, not leave them for the few at the top. Capitalism is not the only way. For too long, we’ve been following the wishes of the rich and powerful. I think it’s about time we stopped. 

I’ve lived in West Oxford for 25 years and am passionate about building stronger communities and tackling climate change. Here are some of the things I’ve been involved with locally

• Chair and member of West Oxford Community Association for 10 yrs.
• Whilst Chair of WOCA, I set up the first Zipcar, installed solar panels, and outsourced the café. These still provide regular income for the centre.
• Co-Founder of the charity, Low Carbon West Oxford in 2007 and the social enterprise, West Oxford Community Renewables in 2009.
• Director of Artweeks.
• Friend of West Oxford School  for 10 years and organised the first Christmas Bazaar.
• Helped to organise Harley Road Street Party for the past 24 years.
• Set up Hogacre Common in 2010, leasing the land from Corpus Christi College for a jar of honey/annum.
• Founding member of West Oxford Panto Assoc. in 2010.  Made scenery, props, directed.

10 things I will do when you elect me:

1. Fight to improve Air Quality in Jericho/West Oxford
2. Fight to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians
3. Oppose new council policies that criminalise boaters, buskers and the homeless
4. Oppose privatisation of NHS and public services
5. Push for more affordable homes and fairer rents
6. Protect community assets like Port Meadow for future generations
7. Work to reduce Oxford’s Carbon Footprint
8. Support Jericho Community Association in their plans for new canal-side development
9. Support local small businesses
10. Oppose academies

Robert Paynter is a father of two and a science researcher; he has been a Green Party member for over twenty years.

Fair is worth fighting for is key to the decisions that must be made to avoid exploitation of others. This applies at all scales: protecting rights of individuals or protecting the world from rampant resource use and damage, ultimately this is exploitation of future generations. For generations exploitation has been included in daily life as a matter of course — this can change.

Robert will bring these principles to the table when representing Chalgrove and Watlington. His primary interests are to support improvements in housing, transport and jobs.

I have lived in Oxford, working at the John Radcliffe, for many years. As well as work I enjoy conservation work with local groups and the National Trust.

Locally, nationally and internationally there seem to be a large number of ill affecting us, for which the Green Party has the best solution. I am standing so that voters have the opportunity to vote Green and support this view.