Government asks for clarity on Oxford elections

The government has asked Oxford City Council to clarify if it wants elections to go ahead.

It follows a letter sent from the Labour leader of the authority, Susan Brown, last week, in which she said there were "strong arguments" for holding election in May but also a "case for postponing".

Secretary of State Steve Reed wrote back to four councils and said they "did not make a clear request of whether or not they want their elections postponed".

Brown said she had now "reconfirmed" her original position to government.

Oxford City Council was one of 63 authorities asked if they wanted May's elections to go ahead, amid planned reorganisation.

The council is due to be replaced in April 2028 with a system of unitary authorities, instead of the two-tier system currently used in Oxfordshire.

At a special meeting last week, the majority of councillors spoke in favour of holding May's elections as planned, despite others highlighting "capacity issues".

But council leader Brown was strongly criticised by opposition councillors for then setting out the case both for and against postponement in her letter to government.

She said claims made about her letter were "inaccurate and deeply misleading".

The government has now written back to Oxford, with a request to clarify the council's position.

The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government added: "[T]here are a small number of councils who have set out how postponement would release essential capacity to facilitate reorganisation, but did not make a clear request of whether or not they want their elections postponed.

"Your representation is one of these.

"I have been clear that this government is taking a locally-led approach.

"In the absence of a clear request on whether your election should be postponed, I will assume that your council's view is that your election should go ahead."

The leader of the Green group, Chris Jarvis, said it meant Brown had a "clear opportunity" to "accurately" reflect the position of a majority of councillors that elections should go ahead.

He added: "Anything less would be to treat Oxford's elected representatives and its residents with contempt."

When contacted for comment, the leader of the city council said: "Our original letter did not request postponing elections and made it clear that councillors wanted them to go ahead, as well as answering the Secretary of State's questions.

"We have reconfirmed that position."

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