Why West Oxfordshire Council is one to watch in local elections

A total of 230 local authorities in England are holding elections with West Oxfordshire being identified as a particularly noteworthy count.

The Liberal Democrats have high hopes of progress in some of this region’s many Conservative areas. 

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Both the Lib Dems and Tories are fighting for a majority with West Oxfordshire, home to former Conservative prime minister David Cameron, being earmarked as one to watch.

Liberal Democrats councillor Andy Graham is the current leader of West Oxfordshire District Council, representing the Woodstock division.

Councillor Andy Graham (Image: WODC)

Mr Graham was elected to the district council in 2015 and is leader of the Liberal Democrat Group.

He previously served as the mayor of Bishop Stortford and he was a councillor on East Herts Council for 16 years. 

The current makeup of the council is coalition-run, made up of 15 Lib Dems, nine Labour and two Greens.

There are also 20 Conservative seats and three Independents within the council.

The district has been nationally prominent as a result of television presenter Jeremy Clarkson's ongoing feud with West Oxfordshire District Council over his Diddly Squat Farm planning applications.

This was broadcast to the nation through the Amazon Prime Clarkson's Farm series.

Elsewhere in the southwest, one council also in the Lib Dems' sights is Dacorum in Hertfordshire (4.30am) where leader Sir Ed Davey launched his party’s campaign by driving a yellow tractor through a “blue wall” of painted hay bales.

The party will also want to tighten its control on Woking (4.30pm), where they currently won a tiny majority last year, and make some eye-catching gains in Hart (2.30am), where both Lib Dems and Tories are fighting for a majority.

There may also be signs of a Lib Dem advance in places like Surrey Heath (3pm) and Wokingham (3pm).

Local elections typically reflect voters’ attitudes about neighbourhood concerns, such as when bins are collected, the state of parks and pavements, or access to libraries and hospitals.

But they can also be a verdict on the main political parties and their handling of big issues – which in 2023 is likely to mean the cost of living, the NHS and public services.

Many of the seats being contested this year were last up for election in 2019, when the UK was still in the European Union, the prime minister was Theresa May and Labour was led by Jeremy Corbyn.

Rishi Sunak will hope to keep Tory losses to a minimum, while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey will be judged on whether their parties are able to make gains at the expense of the Conservatives.