The 2024 Oxford City Council election was held on Thursday 2 May 2024, alongside the other local elections being held in the United Kingdom on the same day.[1] The councillors elected will serve a four-year term ending in 2028.[2]
Background
Oxford City Council elects half of its councillors to every 2 years to serve four-year terms.[2] However, the seats up for election in 2024 were last elected in 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]
At the previous election in 2022, Labour held its majority on the council, however, they lost 3 seats to bring the total number of Labour councillors to 32.[3][4][5] In October 2023, Labour lost control of the council due to 9 councillors resigning in opposition to Keir Starmer's refusal to call for a ceasefire in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.[6] By the time of the election the council remained under no overall control, with a Labour leader.[7] Robert Ford suggested in The Guardian that Oxford would be a key testing ground of dissatisfaction from Labour's left wing and from Muslim and young progressive voters.[8]
Summary
Following the election, the council remained under no overall control. Labour made a net loss of a further two seats, but remained the largest party on the council. They continued to run the council as a minority administration after the election.[9] The Green Party gained two seats. There was a net loss of four independent councillors. A new local party, the Independent Oxford Alliance (IOA), which had only been created earlier in 2024, won four seats.[10]
^"Next Election for Oxford City Council". Oxford City Council - oxford.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 7 January 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
^ abc"Composition of Oxford City Council". Open Council Data UK - opencouncildata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 January 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
^"Oxford result - Local Elections 2022". BBC News. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
^Council, Oxford City. "Oxford City Council Election results - 5 May 2022". www.oxford.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
^"Full breakdown of Oxford City Council local election results 2022". Oxford Mail. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
^"Labour Loses Oxford City Council Over Gaza". tribunemag.co.uk. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
^"Labour loses Oxford council majority after ninth Gaza resignation". BBC News. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
^Robert Ford (28 April 2024). "Red walls and green dreams: what are the key battlegrounds in England's local elections?". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
^Manuschka, Jacob (18 May 2024). "Oxford City Council announces new cabinet and sets out aims". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
^Qurashi, Noor (17 February 2024). "Oxford Independent Alliance candidates share pledges". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxy"Oxford City Council election results - 2 May 2024". Oxford City Council. Retrieved 3 May 2024.