Students stand locally
The bi-annual local Council elections will take place next Thursday, 2nd May, with a proliferation of Oxford students on the candidate lists.
This year sees the demise of the previous Central ward, with the replacement Holywell and Carfax wards splitting the Oxford colleges into Eastern and Western groups. The incumbent Lib Dem/Green coalition face stiff criticism from the Conservatives and Labour on the issue of student housing, and this year's ballot paper will also include a referendum on the introduction of an Oxford Mayor, following the London example two years ago.
Standing this year for the Greens in Holywell are Laura Merrill and Paul Williams, and in Carfax are Linda Losito and Michael Woodin (Balliol), who are keen to carry on the work they have already started as regards housing and environmental concerns.
Tory candidates Sean Sullivan (Teddy Hall) and Ed Sutton (Magdalen) in Holywell, and Ann Dykes and Stephan Pritchard in Carfax, accuse the current Green and Lib Dem councillors of "treating students with complete contempt except at election time" and pledge to protect Oxford's environment, insisting Oxford is a beautiful city.
Labour candidates Siobhan McAndrew (Nuffield) and Eleanor Reeves (St Catz), standing in Holywell, and Karim Palant (New) and Timothy Waters (Magdalen), standing in Carfax, also attack Green proposals regarding the housing situation in Oxford, by labelling as "ridiculous" the idea of ring-fencing housing for local residents and to exclude 'vulnerable' groups such as students and asylum seekers.
Tony Brett (CCC) and Fiyaz Mughal are standing in Holywell for the Lib Dems. Afia Ali and Paul Sargent (HMC), standing in Carfax, pledge to continue the effort to reduce pollution and congestion, protecting Oxford's unique green spaces and challenging the problem of rough sleeping and aggressive begging.
They will be joining the incumbents, also standing, who failed to turn up for their last meeting.
2nd May 2002