Saturday, October 21, 2023

Oxford Lib Dems ready to run the city after more councillors resign from the Labour group


Oxford City Council's Liberal Democrats group is ready to take over running the council after the resignation in recent days eight Labour councillors. They have left the party over Keir Starmer's apparent endorsement of Israel's cutting off of water and power supplies to Gaza.

Chris Smowton, leader of the group on Oxford City Council, told the Oxford Mail:

"Oxford needs a stable administration, united to deal with the city's most urgent problems: to get on top of the city's spiralling housing costs, to decisively set Oxford on course to net zero, and to ensure much-needed affordable homes don't come at the cost of the city's parks and wilderness.

"Labour has lost its majority on Oxford City Council. If they can’t get a grip, then the Liberal Democrats stand ready to get on with the job of governing in the best interests of our city."

Smowton criticised Starmer for failing to "communicate that both terrorism and inhumane response to terrorism are unacceptable" and praised the approach of Layla Moran, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon and the Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesperson:

"I think  Layla Moran has set an excellent example here, consistently condemning terrorism, and also calling for innocent civilians in Gaza to be protected and for the delivery of humanitarian aid to be expedited."

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