PROPOSALS to roll out a more localised test and trace system in north Oxfordshire were shut down at a full council meeting.

Liberal Democrat councillor Katherine Tyson put forward the motion in solidarity with both Oxford City and Ian Hudspeth, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, to call for the government to enable local schemes to be built on.

The motion, seconded by Green councillor Ian Middleton, asked the leader of Cherwell Council to communicate support for a more local system to the director of Public Health and the Leader of the County Council, and to write to MPs asking to support a more localised system across the county.

ALSO READ: Cherwell votes against supporting CEE bill

But it failed to gain support with the Conservatives saying they had whipped their vote against the motion because, according to councillor James McNamara, it had come from the Progressive Oxfordshire group.

All of the Labour group on the Council supported the motion.

Ms Tyson said: “It's disappointing that Conservative members of Cherwell District Council refused to put the needs and livelihoods of our residents before their obsession with being the 'controlling group'.

"I never imagined that a cross-party motion supported by medical professionals would cause such vitriol. I had hoped that the council would have been professional and take the current health crisis seriously, but sadly they’re more interested in mud-slinging and political rivalries.”

Councillor Ian Middleton said: “Instead of focusing on what is best for our residents, Cherwell’s Conservatives put politics above public safety by refusing to back our proposals for fear of being seen to criticise the government’s abject failure over a bungled national system that has so far cost £22bn and has quite clearly been driven by self-interest and cronyism.”

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For news updates straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on news@nqo.com or 01865 425 445.