City Council Overruled
THE Oxford Student, can exclusively reveal that the Council's decision to open Magdalen Bridge for this year's May Morning celebrations has been overturned. Amidst accusations that the Council's decision was "a cynical political move", public safety fears prompted an eleventh-hour bid to close the Bridge with a High Court injunction. As the process for a judicial review got under way, Oxfordshire County Council over-ruled the previous decision of the City Council. The Leader of Oxford City Council, John Tanner, was informed of the bid by the Oxford Student, and called the judicial effort, "a waste of public money."
After evidence came to light that Tanner may have been using the decision for electoral ends, OUSU Vice President (Welfare), Matt Edwards, slammed Tanner's behaviour as a "cynical political move" made with forthcoming elections in mind.
In a statement received by the Oxford Student, on Monday morning Tanner cited the May Day celebration plans first amongst a number of reasons why he believed students would want to vote Labour in the upcoming elections. Mr Tanner said that student votes were "vital."
Matt Edwards, said Tanner's letter shows that he was "explicitly using it as an electoral tool." He said this was evidence of what he had "suspected for some time, that the reason for the decision was to manipulate it for electoral gain."
OUSU President, Josh Bell was dismayed by Tanner's reference to the electoral context of the Magdalen Bridge decision. He said that he was "very concerned that the Council's leader is playing politics with people's lives."
While Tanner, denies that the choice put vote winning before safety, Green Party councillor, Paul Ingram, also believes it was a political decision, claiming Tanner made it "a very personal issue." Tanner commented, "I am responsible for everything I do."
John Tanner claimed that the opening of the bridge was simply the result of a desire to, "make sure a traditional, fun event went forward safely." While he said it was not a personal issue for him, he did concede that, "everything I do is political," and called the moves to close the bridge a "knee-jerk reaction."
Before the High Court injunction procedure, the Oxford Student asked Tanner he would resign if people were to hurt on the bridge. Tanner said the issue was "hypothetical." He added, "what matters is not my political future but the safety of everyone who attends."
It is understood that while Thames Valley Police will be stationing officers on the High Street and the Plain they were not prepared to provide officers to police the bridge itself. While Tanner claimed that Labour were, "shoulder to shoulder with the Greens over thi," Green Councillor, Paul Ingram, confirmed that "some" Green Councillors voted against the decision. Richard Atkinson, the Conservative candidate for Central Ward, commented that, "Students would love to see the bridge open for May Day," but only if it was deemed to be safe. He also believed that May Day and the whole issue of Magdalen Bridge was, "unfortunately close to the elections," because of the possible claims of politics obscuring safety. The issue was not, he believed, something, "we should be basing an election on."
The Liberal Democrats in the City Council voted to close the bridge. Lib Dem councillor Ms. Jean Fooks. said she had considered a risk assessment report on the subject which advised against the opening of the bridge, and called the decision to open it, "irresponsible."
John Tanner, however, focused on public opinion, "We have got to balance the advice we have received against the representations we have had from the public, who are overwhelmingly in favour of keeping the bridge open."
Josh Bell underlined what he believed to be the threat posed by the planned opening of Magdalen Bridge this year. "From the evidence I've read," he said, "there is a real chance of danger to the students attending the May Morning celebrations. It is uncertain whether the parapets of the bridge will be able to withstand the expected largest ever attendance, nor is it possible to ensure that there may not be serious crushing with many students ending up in hospital, as happened five years ago."
Before the legal bid Bell sought to distance himself from the City Council's decision, "I've yet to find a single person on the May Day Advisory Group who actually believes the council made a right decision," he said.