A travesty of an election and an affront to democracy. That’s the only way to describe the Carfax city council by-election.

I like the Labour ‘victor’ Alex Hollingsworth, but he cannot feel comfortable winning with just 165 votes out of a wretched 8.6 per cent turnout. What sort of mandate is that?

The previous lowest turnout in an Oxford election was 12 per cent in Blackbird Leys about 15 years ago, before the IWCA forced Labour to raise its game. This turnout (just one in 12 of the electorate) makes that and the 2012 Police and Crime Commissioners’ Poll look respectable. Why so low? Turnout in studentland is traditionally low, but on this occasion most of the students were not even there. They’ll return from their summer break to find they have a councillor they did not have the chance to vote for – or against. They have been disenfranchised.

Outgoing Labour councillor for Quarry and Risinghurst Laurence Baxter stated his intention to stand down before the outgoing Carfax Labour councillor, but somehow the Carfax by-election was held two weeks before the one here on September 18.

How? Because the formal resignations were stage-managed by Labour so as to hold the Carfax poll whilst the students (who voted Green only three and a half months ago) were absent.

This is a disgraceful stitch-up. Political parties should not be allowed to subvert democracy in this way. The election should be declared invalid, and held again when the students return and are able to vote.

John Green

Risinghurst

Oxford

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Today’s letters
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