2014 West Oxfordshire District Council election

The 2014 West Oxfordshire District Council election took place on 22 May 2014 to elect members of West Oxfordshire District Council in Oxfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.[1]

Map of the results of the 2014 West Oxfordshire District Council election. Conservatives in blue, Labour in red and Liberal Democrats in yellow. Wards in dark grey were not contested in 2014.

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Background

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After the previous election in 2012 the Conservatives controlled the council with 41 councillors, while both Labour and the Liberal Democrats had four seats.[3] However, in May 2013 two Conservative councillors, Steve Hayward of Ducklington ward and David Snow of Witney North, resigned from the party to become Independents.[4] They were joined the following month by Annie Roy-Barker of Chipping Norton ward who also left the Conservatives to become an independent.[5] With seats in Ducklington, and Stonesfield and Tackley, vacant the council composition before the 2014 election was therefore 37 Conservatives, four Labour, four Liberal Democrats and two independents.[6][7]

16 seats were scheduled to be contested in 2014, but the vacancy in Stonesfield and Tackley meant 17 seats were elected.[8] A total of 66 candidates stood for election, 17 Conservatives, 15 Labour, 11 Green, 11 UK Independence Party, nine Liberal Democrats and three independents.[9][10] 10 sitting councillors sought re-election, with councillors Annie Roy-Barker, Arthur Goffe, Hilary Hibbert-Biles, Verena Hunt and Larry Poole standing down at the election.[10][11]

The election was held on 22 May 2014 at the same time as the 2014 European Parliament elections.[9]

Election result

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The Conservatives gained two seats to have 40 councillors and a 31-seat majority on the council.[2] They gained a seat in Eynsham and Cassington from the Liberal Democrats and regained Ducklington, which had previously been held by independent, former Conservative, councillor Steve Hayward.[12]

Labour moved to become the second largest group on the council with five councillors after gaining one seat, while the Liberal Democrats dropped to three seats and only one independent councillor remained on the council.[2] The UK Independence Party failed to win any seats, but came second in seven of the wards they contested, coming closest in Witney South where James Robertshaw was 152 votes behind Conservative David Harvey.[12] All ten sitting councillors who stood were re-elected and overall turnout at the election was 39.03%.[7]

West Oxfordshire local election result 2014[2][7]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 15 2 0 +2 88.2 49.3 10,435 -0.7%
  Labour 1 1 0 +1 5.9 18.6 3,934 -6.8%
  Liberal Democrats 1 0 1 -1 5.9 10.5 2,213 -6.9%
  UKIP 0 0 0 0 0 12.7 2,690 +12.7%
  Green 0 0 0 0 0 5.9 1,255 -1.3%
  Independent 0 0 2 -2 0 3.0 632 +3.0%

Ward results

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Ascott and Shipton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Tom Simcox 478 62.6 −14.5
Labour John Gittings 114 14.9 −8.0
Green Celia Kerslake 96 12.6 +12.6
Liberal Democrats Andrew Crick 75 9.8 +9.8
Majority 364 47.7 −6.5
Turnout 763 43.8 −34.2
Conservative hold Swing
Bampton and Clanfield[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Martin Barrett 980 81.3 +9.5
Labour Liz Blount 226 18.7 +18.7
Majority 754 62.5 +18.8
Turnout 1,206 42.0 −9.1
Conservative hold Swing
Brize Norton and Shilton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alex Postan 395 55.0 −6.3
Independent Shane Rae 323 45.0 +6.3
Majority 72 10.0 −12.6
Turnout 718 45.4 −28.1
Conservative hold Swing
Burford[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Derek Cotterill 494 73.3 −3.4
UKIP Erika Barnby 84 12.5 +12.5
Green Rosie Pearson 56 8.3 +8.3
Labour Andrew Ferrero 40 5.9 −1.3
Majority 410 60.8 +0.2
Turnout 674 45.4 −28.2
Conservative hold Swing
Carterton North East[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Henry Howard 466 49.2 −17.4
UKIP Barclay Lawrence 259 27.3 +27.3
Labour Duncan Hume 128 13.5 +13.5
Green Andy King 95 10.0 −4.5
Majority 207 21.8 −26.0
Turnout 948 24.4 −7.6
Conservative hold Swing
Carterton North West[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Maxine Crossland 647 63.1 −9.5
Labour Dave Wesson 208 20.3 +20.3
Green Paul Creighton 170 16.6 −10.8
Majority 439 42.8 −2.3
Turnout 1,025 31.6 −9.3
Conservative hold Swing
Carterton South[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lynn Little 536 54.5 −14.8
UKIP Leandra Edmands 285 29.0 +29.0
Labour Michael Enright 91 9.2 −0.8
Green Tony Barrett 72 7.3 +0.9
Majority 251 25.5 −29.5
Turnout 984 32.5 −8.4
Conservative hold Swing
Chipping Norton[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Laetisia Carter 927 45.2 −14.8
Conservative Guy Wall 836 40.8 +0.8
UKIP James Stanley 287 14.0 +14.0
Majority 91 4.4 −15.6
Turnout 2,050 44.2 +9.7
Labour gain from Independent Swing
Ducklington[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Benjamin Woodruff 337 50.6 −11.6
UKIP Lawrence Haar 151 22.7 +22.7
Labour Richard Kelsall 119 17.9 +3.1
Green Stuart MacDonald 59 8.9 +8.9
Majority 186 27.9 −11.3
Turnout 666 39.4 −37.6
Conservative gain from Independent Swing
Eynsham and Cassington[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Emery 822 39.7 +1.8
Liberal Democrats Will Griffiths 492 23.8 −11.7
Labour Judith Wardle 389 18.8 −0.1
UKIP Jonathan Miller 368 17.8 +17.8
Majority 330 15.9 +13.4
Turnout 2,071 42.7 +4.7
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing
Freeland and Hanborough[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Colin Dingwall 644 44.9 −1.1
Liberal Democrats Mike Baggaley 443 30.9 −2.2
Labour Lucy Tritton 200 13.9 +4.1
Green Andrew Wright 147 10.3 −0.8
Majority 201 14.0 +1.1
Turnout 1,434 42.7 +3.5
Conservative hold Swing
Standlake, Aston and Stanton Harcourt[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Steve Good 840 56.7 −9.3
UKIP Clive Taylor 261 17.6 +17.6
Labour Liam Carroll 140 9.5 −9.1
Liberal Democrats Chris Blount 137 9.3 −2.7
Green Alma Tumilowicz 103 7.0 +3.6
Majority 579 39.1 −8.3
Turnout 1,481 44.7 +8.6
Conservative hold Swing
Stonesfield and Tackley[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Bishop 742 56.1 −3.1
Labour Georgia Mazower 328 24.8 +24.8
Liberal Democrats Christopher Tatton 253 19.1 +5.1
Majority 414 31.3 −1.1
Turnout 1,323 42.4 +7.7
Conservative hold Swing
The Bartons[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Courts 389 61.9 −8.9
UKIP Stephen Nash 141 22.5 +22.5
Liberal Democrats Amanda Epps 98 15.6 −13.6
Majority 248 39.5 −2.2
Turnout 628 40.0 −34.4
Conservative hold Swing
Witney East[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Mills 879 42.4 −3.4
Labour Alfred Fullah 594 28.7 −25.5
UKIP James Mawle 279 13.5 +13.5
Green Kate Griffin 210 10.1 +10.1
Liberal Democrats Ross Beadle 109 5.3 +5.3
Majority 285 13.7
Turnout 2,071 35.7 +4.4
Conservative hold Swing
Witney South[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Harvey 625 37.4 −7.6
UKIP James Robertshaw 473 28.3 +28.3
Labour Calvert McGibbon 338 20.2 −10.8
Green Brigitte Hickman 160 9.6 −5.8
Liberal Democrats Gillian Workman 76 4.5 −4.2
Majority 152 9.1 −4.9
Turnout 1,672 35.3 +8.1
Conservative hold Swing
Woodstock and Bladon[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Julian Cooper 530 36.7 −15.9
Conservative Sandy Rasch 325 22.5 −24.9
Independent Brian Yoxall 182 12.6 +12.6
Independent Sharone Parnes 127 8.8 +8.8
UKIP Charles Bennett 102 7.1 +7.1
Labour Trevor License 92 6.4 +6.4
Green John O'Regan 87 6.0 +6.0
Majority 205 14.2 +8.9
Turnout 1,445 43.6 +5.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

References

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  1. ^ "West Oxfordshire". BBC News Online. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d "Results Elections 2014". The Times. NewsBank. 24 May 2014. pp. 88–89.
  3. ^ "Vote 2012". BBC News Online. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  4. ^ "West Oxfordshire Conservative councillors quit party". Bicester Advertiser. 4 May 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  5. ^ "Councillor says she won't stand again because she is disillusioned". Oxford Mail. NewsBank. 15 April 2014.
  6. ^ "Councillor information". West Oxfordshire District Council. Archived from the original on 20 April 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "West Oxfordshire District Council Election Results 2011 - 2015" (PDF). West Oxfordshire District Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  8. ^ "Elections on Thursday 22 May 2014" (PDF). West Oxfordshire District Council. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  9. ^ a b Fantato, Damian (25 April 2014). "Countdown to ballot day in county begins". Oxford Mail. NewsBank.
  10. ^ a b "Oxfordshire election candidates announced". Jack FM. 24 April 2014. Archived from the original on 22 August 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  11. ^ "West Oxfordshire District Council elections: Chipping Norton". Cotswold Journal. NewsBank. 19 May 2014.
  12. ^ a b Scott, Sophie (24 May 2014). "West Oxon elections: Tories tighten grip on council". Oxford Mail. NewsBank.