The 2024 Oxford City Council election was held on Thursday 2 May 2024, alongside the other local elections being held in the United Kingdom on the same day. The councillors elected will serve a four-year term ending in 2028.
Background Oxford City Council elects half of its councillors to every 2 years to serve four-year terms. However, the seats up for election in 2024 were last elected in 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the previous election in 2022, Labour held its majority on the council, however, they lost 3 seats to bring the total number of Labour councillors to 32. In October 2023, Labour lost control of the council due to 9 councillors resigning in opposition to Keir Starmer's refusal to call for a ceasefire in the Gaza war. By the time of the election the council remained under no overall control, with a Labour leader. Robert Ford suggested in The Guardian that Oxford would be a key testing ground of dissatisfaction from Labour's left wing and from Muslim and young progressive voters.
Summary
Following the election, the council remained under no overall control. Labour made a net loss of a further two seats, but remained the largest party on the council. They continued to run the council as a minority administration after the election. The Green Party gained two seats. There was a net loss of four independent councillors. A new local party, the Independent Oxford Alliance (IOA), which had only been created earlier in 2024, won four seats.
Election result
Ward results Barton and Sandhills
Blackbird Leys
Carfax and Jericho
Churchill
Cowley
Cutteslowe and Sunnymead
Donnington
Headington
Headington Hill and Northway
Hinksey Park
Holywell
Littlemore
Lye Valley
Marston
Northfield Brook
Osney and St Thomas
Quarry and Risinghurst
Rose Hill and Iffley
St Clement's
St Mary's
Summertown
Temple Cowley
Walton Manor
Wolvercote
By-elections
Marston
Headington Hill & Northway
References