Leader of the Vale of White Horse District Council, Cllr Emily Smith, has written to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, calling for clarity on whether the 2021 elections will be delayed and for how long.  

After the Conservative government delayed the decision to reduce the number of children in schools, thousands of children went to school for one day, and teachers, parents and pupils were left to pick up the pieces from the Tory u-turn.

Leader of the Vale of White Horse District Council, Cllr Emily Smith said:

Abingdon Town Council has unanimously passed a motion which thanked local businesses and community groups for their help in feeding children who needed it and committed to families who normally receive free school meals over school holidays. 

Lib Dem Council Group leaders from all of the Oxfordshire Councils are calling on the Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock, to move Oxfordshire to Tier 2 status following a worrying trend in COVID-19 cases.

The Lib Dem team running the Vale of White Horse District Council have agreed to boost the number of truly affordable homes in the district.

At Monday’s full council meeting, Conservative councillors pushed forward changes to the local plan that would concrete over vital greenbelt land.

Jericho Low Traffic Neighbourhood crowdfunding campaign succeeds, boosted by Liberal Democrat councillor's funds.

Think of your constituents and the UK's standing in the World, is the message from Richard Benwell, Wantage Lib Dems Parliamentary Spokesperson in a letter to Wantage MP David Johnston urging him to vote against government legislation that would break international law.

Liberal Democrat Leader at Oxford City Council, Andrew Gant, has expressed deep concern over the loss of 400 jobs at the BMW Cowley Plant.

With air pollution down by over 60% in parts of the Vale of White Horse, Cllr Emily Smith, leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, has urged for radical steps to be taken to keep this in place longer term.

The Tory Government’s plan to reform the planning system will do nothing to alleviate the housing crisis in our country. It will not help those who are stuck on waiting lists, and “zoning plans” risk leaving whole areas behind.

South Oxfordshire Local Plan - Examination in Public runs until the 7th of August 2020. All the details can be found here.

Oxford Lib Dems have outlined their position on temporary bus gates which are being put up in Oxford City.

Lib Dem led, Vale of White Horse District Council is looking to work with the Abingdon community to seek a viable future for Old Abbey House.

District Councillor for Abingdon Abbey Northcourt Helen Pighills

On 29th July, after 13 months and many improvements to the detailed plans, David Wilson Homes were granted planning permission to build 200 homes between Wootton Road and Tilsley Park.

Lib Dem led South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils have made it easier for people with disabilities, or who are vulnerable, to receive housing assistance grants and loans to help make their homes safer and more comfortable.

Liberal Democrats have proposed for Oxford to become the first city in the UK to have a twin town in Taiwan.

Fans of democracy were delighted on Tuesday when Conservative County Council Leader Ian Hudspeth made a dramatic u-turn and dropped his proposal to lobby for the cancellation of next year's local elections.

At the recent online meeting of the county Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee (HOSC for short) the ongoing saga of the review of health provision to the OX12 post code (Wantage – more or less) was discussed again, together with the county response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residents in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse who have outstanding payments on their council tax bill and are struggling to pay are being urged to contact their district council to find out what support may be available. An extra £150 of discount is now available to certain residents.

Play areas in the Vale of White Horse managed by the district council will begin to re-open from Monday 6 July.  Vale of White Horse District Council will carry out a phased re-opening – this means play areas will only re-open once safety checks have been carried out and officers are happy they are safe for people to use. 

Trans people have the right to feel safe and welcome in Oxford, just like all of our city’s other residents and workers.

Lib Dem Councillor David Grant, Chair of the Climate Emergency Advisory Committee at Vale of White Horse District Council has written to Oxfordshire County Council offering to work together to reduce pollution across Oxfordshire.

Sustainable engineer Sally Povolotsky has been named among the Women's Engineering Society top 50 women in engineering.

£218 million of new funding for Didcot has been welcomed by Liberal Democrat council leaders Sue Cooper and Emily Smith.

Oxford Liberal Democrats welcome the clarity brought to the discussions around the issue of public monuments by the statement from Oriel College. We share the commitment of the Rhodes Must Fall and Black Lives Matter movements to addressing imbalances in how we view history and in inequalities today.

The killing of George Floyd has highlighted how pervasive institutional racism is within US law enforcement. But, protests and demonstrations have not been isolated to the United States. From Australia to Israel to France, people have taken to the streets to express the need for police reform and for system change to end racial inequality.

Read an open letter below from Oxfordshire Lib Dem council leaders reflecting on community spirit during lock down and racial injustice.

Liberal Democrat Councillors as part of the Progressive Oxfordshire group on Cherwell Council have called for the Statue of Cecil Rhodes to come down.

On World Environment Day we can celebrate the reduction in traffic and air pollution in our Lib Dem led Vale of White Horse.

Liberal Democrats on Oxford City Council call for UK citizenship to be granted to EU National Health Service workers.

Oxford City Councillors Andrew Gant (group leader) and Mohammed Altaf Khan (deputy leader) have urged the Government to protect Oxford's BAME community against COVID-19 in a letter:

We welcome that the Government has announced it will launch a review into why BAME communities are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. There are some immediate steps the Government can take, right now, that will make a difference:

The Oxford City Liberal Democrats have published a response to the Labour-run City Council's suggestions for traffic:

Labour city councillor Alex Hollingsworth calls for a range of measures to preserve some of the new-found tranquillity of our streets.

Liberal Democrat councillors have already called on the city and county to follow government encouragement and introduce new cycle lanes and wider pedestrian spaces while there is less traffic. One-way streets would also be a much better use of available space, encouraging more people to walk and cycle safely, and observing social distancing.

It has come to our attention several trees alongside the new Headley Way cycleway are being felled by subcontractors for the City Council.

We are investigating the exact circumstances, but to our knowledge neither City nor County Councillors were informed in advance of this work. Oxford Direct Services have explained their work on Twitter, citing damage to the trees' roots; however, we are pressing them to publish their assessment and to explain why work was commenced without prior consultation.

City and County Councillor Roz Smith previously campaigned successfully to retain these trees from felling in the course of the County's ongoing Access to Headington transport upgrades, and will be seeking assurances that any future work of this kind goes before councillors in advance.

Oxford City Liberal Democrat Councillors have criticised the decision of the Labour Council to delegate all planning decision to officers without consultation.

In a letter to the Cabinet, Liberal Democrats have called for the use the of virtual meetings to keep the democratic process in place.

Read the letter below:

We are collecting here a list of the most useful resources for Oxford residents dealing with the consequences of the Coronavirus outbreak.

Oxfordshire County Council have launched a support service for vulnerable people. If you or someone you know has been identified as extremely vulnerable by the NHS and have no support network, please contact the dedicated team on 01865 89 78 20 or email shield@oxfordshire.gov.uk. If you live in Oxford City, you can also phone 01865 24 98 11 between 8am and 5pm or visit www.oxford.gov.uk/CommunityAssistance

Residents having problems of any kind should not hesitate to contact their councillors: 
https://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/mgFindMember.aspx
http://mycouncil.oxford.gov.uk/mgFindMember.aspx

Local official guidance
www.oxford.gov.uk/coronavirus
www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/council/services-affected-covid-19

Summary of government guidance
111.nhs.uk/covid-19
www.gov.uk/coronavirus
NHS guidance translated into 34 languages: www.doctorsoftheworld.org.uk/coronavirus-information​

Resources for employees, workers and businesses
Advice for employees, including people furloughed or laid off
Support for self-employed people
Advice for businesses, including job retention

Charities focusing on vulnerable people
www.mind.org.uk
www.ageuk.org.uk
www.carersuk.org
womensaid.org.uk
mensadviceline.org.uk

Advice for people with particular medical conditions
www.asthma.org.uk
www.diabetes.org.uk
www.versusarthritis.org
Cancer Research UK
The British Heart Foundation
The British Lung Foundation

Schools
If you need help supporting your children's learning during school shut-downs, check with their school to find out what help might be available.
BBC Bytesize might be a useful home learning resource

Local information
Daily Info​: frequently updated, including which businesses are open or offering deliveries.

Volunteering
NHS Volunteer Responders are needed to transportation and community support. 
Oxfordshire All In ​are mapping​ all Coronavirus neighbourhood support groups across the county.
Oxford Hub​ is coordinating a ​ Oxford-wide​ community response to the coronavirus and looking for volunteers.
Oxford Covid-19 Mutual Aid​ (facebook / twitter) helps connect people in and around Oxford online​.
Researchers from Kings College London among others want people to help track their symptoms.

Liberal Democrats
www.libdems.org.uk/covid19
www.oxonlibdems.uk

Oxford Civic Society's "Spring Clean" was great, but it would be better if the government did more to make sure there's less rubbish available to drop.

Liberal Democrats on Cherwell District Council acted to ensure that the climate crisis is taken seriously by Cherwell Council at last night’s meeting.

Layla Moran, Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, has today responded to the release of 2018’s casualties statistics for the A34 that show a rise in fatalities compared to 2017, saying that planned improvement works need to “go further and happen faster”.

Liberal Democrat leaders on District Councils across Oxfordshire have backed local democracy over government diktat.

Oxford City Council has begun work on 43 new houses on two sites in Rose Hill, but the Liberal Democrats believe this is clearly not enough to meet Oxford's housing requirements.

Liberal Democrat members in Oxford East selected aid worker Alistair Fernie as their Parliamentary Candidate.

Luciana Berger is the latest person to cross the floor and join the Liberal Democrats - find out why she chose to here.

Why did Phillip Lee join the Liberal Democrats? Find out here:

At Monday's full council meeting, Liberal Democrat councillors together with Green Councillor Ian Middleton put forward a motion calling for a halt to Cherwell Local Plan. While Oxford's housing need is still not clear, Liberal Democrats across Oxfordshire are calling for a pause to local plans while the number is established.

On Wednesday the Vale of White Horse District Council will debate a Liberal Democrat motion to oppose the plan for an Oxford to Cambridge Expressway.

Liberal Democrats now running the Vale of White Horse District Council have criticised the current Local Plan process for expecting the district to decide where to accommodate Oxford’s ‘unmet housing need’ before the Oxford Local Plan has been agreed.

The Liberal Democrats now running the Vale of White Horse District Council are putting the battle against Climate Change at the heart of their agenda for the district.

Conservatives left the Vale of White Horse Council's finances in a mess. The latest news to come to light shows that cancelling one contract cost local taxpayers a massive £672,000.

The Planning Inspector has written to the Vale of White Horse District Council, supporting the version of the Local Plan Part 2 that was proposed by the previous Conservative administration.

Vince Cable, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, comments after the European elections: "Last night, the British people finished voting in the European elections. The fallout is there for all to see, with the Prime Minister finally conceding this morning that she has reached the end of the road.

The Liberal Democrats are fighting these elections as the largest pro-European Party, campaigning hard for a People's Vote with an option to remain in the EU. We are working hard to give a voice to the millions of people who demand better than Brexit Britain.

Liberal Democrats win emphatic victories to take control of Vale of White Horse, Abingdon and Kidlington, become the largest party in South Oxfordshire, and make gains in West Oxfordshire and Cherwell. 

MEP candidates announced for the European Parliament elections on 23 May

In the South Oxfordshire District Council elections on 2 May the Liberal Democrats and Greens have decided to work together and not compete with each other.

Liberal Democrat Councillors Paul Harris and Liz Wade yesterday (3rd April) attended the launch at Blenheim Palace of Experience Oxfordshire's "Oxford Pass".

No Councillor from the ruling Labour Group attended, in spite of the valuable work Experience Oxfordshire does and having cut the award-winning organisation's budget.

Lib Dem Leader Sir Vince Cable visited Harwell and Blewbury on Saturday to launch the Lib Dem campaign to take control of the Vale of White Horse District Council.

Layla Moran, Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, has written to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs today to request an urgent meeting in order to secure adequate funding for flood alleviation in Abingdon.

Writing to Thérèse Coffey MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Environment, Layla highlighted the “clear disparity” between flood spending in Oxford and Abingdon. Whilst the recently-scrapped Abingdon Flood Alleviation Scheme was projected to cost £9.7 million, a far more substantial £150 million is being spent on Oxford’s defences, according to recent projections.

The letter follows Coffey’s response to a Parliamentary Question tabled by Layla Moran regarding flooding prevention in Abingdon. In her response, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State wrote that ‘[f]unding is allocated consistently across the country’, despite the apparent inconsistency in Oxfordshire.

More than 5½ million people have signed a petition to revoke Article 50. Liberal Democrats across Oxfordshire are supporting this call to deliver an Exit from Brexit.

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran has called for more action from the Government on flooding. This comes in light of a Parliamentary Question revealing that since 2015 only £1.2 million has been spent on flooding prevention in Abingdon.

 Layla recently called a public meeting on the Abingdon Flood Alleviation Scheme, which was promised and then scrapped by the Environment Agency due to spiralling costs of almost £9.7 million. She has said that the current spending on flooding is “not good enough” and more must be done to make up for the “disappointment” cancelling the scheme brought to residents.

The Government defended its record by saying the Environment Agency has spent £1.2 million on some flood risk reduction in Abingdon since April 2015. This is compared to the £150 million being spent on reducing flooding risks in Oxford.

Liberal Democrats from across Oxfordshire have been marching in London to campaign for a People's Vote. It is time to change course and save our country. It is time to Exit from Brexit.

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran has called out Conservatives on Oxfordshire County Council after they have withdrawn their commitment to submit a bid for the B4044 community path from Eynsham to Botley.

Liberal Democrat MP has consistently backed the campaign for the path to be built in order to boost sustainable transport in the county however the County Council has recently announced it will be left out of their bid to the Government.

As a cycling champion, Layla has shared the outrage of cycling groups in Oxfordshire in light of this decision. Layla who is a vice chair on the Parliamentary group for cycling has been a supporter of the path from the beginning and will be putting pressure on the Council to give their support to the B4044 path.

We migrated our email servers to a different provider today and some messages sent to @oxonlibdems.uk email addresses may have been rejected. Our servers are now working properly, so you should be able to re-send any messages that did not get through the first time.

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran has called for a fresh public consultation surrounding the “opaque” procurement process that will see PET-CT scanning services be awarded to private company InHealth.

By Andrew Gant, Leader of the Opposition on Oxford City Council.

Following recent revelations of domestic abuse, I call on Cllr Malik to resign as Deputy Lord Mayor of Oxford. Further, I call on him to resign as a councillor. It is not appropriate for him to continue representing our city or his ward residents.

By Conor McKenzie, Oxford Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Homelessness & Rough Sleeping.

Fines will never be an appropriate solution to the severe homelessness crisis in Oxford. Regardless of whether they are used or not, they are ineffective, misguided, and cruel.

Layla Moran, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, has slammed the Government over shameful homeless deaths and homeless arrests, after it has been revealed that Oxford has the second highest rate of deaths in England per 100,000 people in 2017.

Long awaited detailed plans for the Lodge Hill junction are supposed to be on the way but have been further delayed.

The Conservative run Vale of White Horse District Council faces running out of money within four years if urgent action is not taken to fix the budget.

Liberal Democrats are calling on Network Rail to get the Cowley branch line back on track, following years of it being shut to passengers.

Developers have announced that they intend to demolish homeless hostel Simon House to make way for 30 new luxury apartments.

A service of celebration and thanksgiving for the life and work of Jean Fooks, former Lord Mayor and city and county councillor, will be held in St Michael's Church, Lonsdale Road, on Saturday February 2nd at 2.00pm.

The Memorial Service for Jean Fooks will be held on 2nd February, 2pm, at St Michael and All Angels, Lonsdale Road, Oxford.

The Liberal Democrats have increased their majority in Wolvercote ward by over 15%, at the City Council by-election which was held on Thursday 6th December.

Liberal Democrats have welcomed the passing of a motion which calls on Oxford City Council to provide emergency accommodation to people rough sleeping every night forecast to be 0 degrees or below, after their year long campaign.

The Conservative government, supported by the leader of Oxfordshire County Council, is intent on building a motorway style road between Oxfordshire and Cambridge.

The news that Campsfield House is to close in May 2019 was announced today in a letter from Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes to Oxford West and Abingdon’s Lib Dem MP Layla Moran.

The Planning Inspector has asked for major changes to the Vale of White Horse District Council's latest Local Plan. Liberal Democrats in the Vale believe the plan has been rushed and needs more work. 

Local members in Wolvercote ward have selected Liz Wade as their candidate for the by-election, expected to be held in early-December.

It was great to see so many people on Saturday at the People's Vote March in London. But we can't stop now - we need to keep up the pressure.

Liberal Democrat councillor for Wheatley division, Dr Kirsten Johnson, resigned her seat yesterday.

Jane Hanna has been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate in the Grove & Wantage by-election, following the retirement of Zoe Patrick who is standing down after over 20 years of service to the local community.

On housing, homelessness, and Europe, the Labour Party are failing to stand up for Oxford residents who are being left behind.

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran has used a House of Commons debate to call on the Government to provide £150 million of pounds of extra funding for cycling in Oxfordshire.

By Paul Harris, Liberal Democrat councillor for St Margaret's ward and Spokesperson for A Cleaner, Greener Oxford. This article originally appeared in the Oxford Mail on 22nd August 2018.

Except for President Trump and a few mad climate change deniers, everyone agrees that it is critically important to reduce carbon dioxide emissions which contribute to global warming.

Layla Moran, Cllr Andrew Gant and Oxford's Liberal Democrats are calling on the Labour leader of Oxford City Council to support the campaign for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal.

Oxford’s Labour councillors voted against supporting Oxford’s rough sleepers, describing designs by Oxford Brookes University, in partnership with Crisis homeless support charity, as a ‘gimmick’.

The local Liberal Democrats have welcomed a U-turn by Conservative County Councillors that should mean an extra £10million of investment in Oxfordshire roads.

Liberal Democrats around Oxfordshire are pushing for action to tackle dangerous parking.

Illegal, dangerous and inconsiderate parking is a growing problem in market towns such as Abingdon, Faringdon and Wantage as well as communities such as Botley and Kidlington.

Ruvi Ziegler, Oxford associate professor and Lib Dem council candidate in the recent Oxford City Council elections, fears that Brexit will undermine Britain’s research status.

Ruth Wilkinson has resigned following ten years as a councillor for Headington ward.

Reports have emerged that Labour Councillor for Lye Valley ward, Ben Lloyd-Shogbesan, has been sharing anti-Semitic and homophobic articles.

The Liberal Democrats are celebrating a fantastic set of election results across Oxfordshire.

The Windrush Generation are British citizens. People who’ve lived here for decades – working, raising families, part of Britain. How they have been treated by the Home Office is brutal and cruel.

By Edward Davey, 17 April 2018

Tomorrow Lib Dem MP Layla Moran will sponsor a Bill to change the law on same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland.

Oxford's Labour councillors have voted down a Liberal Democrat amendment to the 2018-19 budget that would have seen in £2 million go towards ending homelessness and rough sleeping in the city.

Paul Harris, Liberal Democrat candidate for St. Margaret's ward in the Oxford City Council elections in May, has written to the Oxford Times about cycling.