Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said Oxfordshire's five party MPs will now work together to challenge the new Labour government.

He spoke to the Oxford Mail shortly before the party's conference, which starts today - Saturday - in Brighton.

Not surprisingly he was in a good mood, after masterminding the party's best ever general election result on July 4, with 72 Lib Dem MPs now in the House of Commons.

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Five of them are from Oxfordshire constituencies: Layla Moran (Oxford West and Abingdon), Olly Glover (Didcot and Wantage), Freddie van Mierlo (Henley and Thame), Charlie Maynard (Witney) and Callum Miller (Bicester & Woodstock).

With Anneliese Dodds representing Labour in Oxford East, and Sean Woodcock representing Labour in Banbury, the Tories have been wiped from the political map.

"It was an incredible moment - it's the most Lib Dem MPs Oxfordshire has ever had, certainly for 100 years," said Sir Ed.

"It is one of our best ever results - the Liberal Democrats are on the up and Oxfordshire is very much part of that story - these five MPs are a great team for Oxfordshire."

(Image: PA) Sir Ed said the county's Lib Dem MPs would work together to hold the government to account on major issues affecting their constituents.

"The health service is certainly the number one priority - that is clear - the damage done has to be repaired," he added.

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"There are a lack of GPs, crumbling hospitals, and a lack of social care.

"The Conservatives are looking divided but we are united and will hold the Government to account.

"We will oppose the Government where we disagree with them but it will not be yah boo politics - we will try to go forward with an alternative way."

Sir Ed has already challenged Labour's move to end the winter fuel allowance for some pensioners, with the Lib Dem leader referring to it as the new administration's "first big mistake".

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the Government was withdrawing winter fuel payments from millions of pensioner households not in receipt of benefits.

Ms Reeves defended that decision, which she blamed on a £22 billion black hole in the public finances inherited from the Conservatives, stating: “it’s not a decision I wanted to make.”

(Image: PA) Sir Ed called on Ms Reeves to have a rethink over the winter fuel payment.

The policy is expected to reduce the number of pensioners in receipt of the up-to-£300 payment by 10 million, from 11.4 million to 1.5 million, saving some £1.4 billion this financial year.

He told the BBC earlier: "Liberal Democrats said, in the election, we’d fight for a fair deal for people, for our communities and I think the least the Parliament needs to do is have a debate, have a vote and hopefully reject this proposal.

"The Government have got a legacy from the Conservatives which is really, really tough, but I don't think the way to balance the books is to take away this crucial support for millions of pensioners, just as we're going into winter when fuel bills are going up

“It looks like the Government’s first big mistake, and I think pensioners will be going into this winter, really worried if Parliament doesn’t stop the Government from doing this.”

Sir Ed told the Oxford Mail he was aware of residents' concerns about repeated Thames Water illegal sewage spills into the River Thames and Thames tributaries such as the Windrush in Witney.

"Thames Water is going bust and the regulator Ofwat (the Water Services Regulation Authority) and the Government should not be held to ransom by a water company that has been mismanaged," he added.

Sir Ed said his party was in favour of scrapping Ofwat and replacing it with the Clean Water Authority, which would have "more powers and more resources to hold the water company to account".

He added that Labour's move to renationalise the rail industry has some benefits but advocated a "strategic rail authority" to tackle the fragmentation of the rail industry.

"At the moment there is no guiding hand and we need that overseeing body," he added.

Oxfordshire's five Lib Dem MPs will now have the opportunity to discuss some of Sir Ed's major policy ideas in detail at their conference at the Brighton Centre.