Conservatives top Oxfordshire polls

WITH a turnout of just 26% in the Thame and Chinnor Ward, the Conservative Party has secured two County Councillors in today’s Local Elections to represent the ward, Nick Carter with 2,959 votes, and Jeannette Matelot-Green with 2,791 votes. Jeannette is currently Deputy Chair of South Oxfordshire Distrct Council, and Nick has been Thame’s County Councillor for eight years.

Voting figures for the other Thame and Chinnor candidates were as follows:

Kate Michelle Gregory –    Liberal Democrats 1609
Gaby Oatway –                     Liberal Democrats 1461
David Matthew Bailey –     Labour Party 750
Simon Stone –                      Labour Party 597
Louisa Mary Wilkinson  –  Green Party 391
Ali Gordon-Creed –             Green Party 328

The Conservatives won 31 seats out of the 63 up for grabs, leaving them just one short for over-all control of Oxfordshire County Council – the same as in 2013. Deputy council leader, Rodney Rose, lost his seat to the Lib Dems.

This is Oxfordshire (see LINK)  has reported that opposition parties have ‘launched a charm offensive to try and woo independent councillors who could now hold the balance of power’. This is Oxfordshire further reports that both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have said they could consider a ‘rainbow coalition’, with talks expected to take place this weekend.

The overall turnout for yesterday’s election in Oxfordshire was 33%, up from 30% in 2013.