NEWLY elected members of parliament are to be invited to meet councillors at County Hall.

Oxfordshire County Council voted yesterday to extend the invitation to the six people elected as MPs in the county on May 7.

Independent councillor Neville Harris had proposed all council members travelling to Westminster, but after concerns were raised the motion was amended to instead invite the new MPs to come to County Hall.

Mr Harris had said if councillors visited Parliament they would be able to present a unified front and tell MPs what their priorities should be to improve the lives of people in the county.

And Green Party councillor David Williams, who seconded the proposal, offered to pay for the trip.

But county council leader Ian Hudspeth said: “I have a sympathy with this motion, but my concern is that transporting everybody to Westminster has logistical problems.

“It would make much more of a statement to invite MPs to County Hall to listen to what we are saying. I am just a bit concerned about logistics.”

Labour councillor Susanna Pressel supported Mr Hudspeth’s amendment and said it was better for the environment if councillors did not travel to Westminster.

She said: “I think it is a better plan than the original motion. It is better to get six people here, who are from Oxfordshire anyway, rather than get 60 people to travel to London.”

The motion was approved by 52 votes to three with two abstentions.