224 people will fight for 168 seats in May (From Witney Gazette)

224 people will fight for 168 seats in May

2:43pm Tuesday 5th April 2011 in Witney By Tom Jennings

MAY’S election is hotting up, with 224 people standing for 168 seats on parish, town and district councils across West Oxfordshire.

At parish and town level, 169 people will contest 152 seats, while 55 people will contest 16 seats at West Oxfordshire District Council.

Top councillors at all levels, including district council cabinet members, will fight for their places.

West Oxfordshire Conservatives and district council leader, Barry Norton, promised a fight.

He said: “We are never complacent and have worked hard over many years to gain the trust and support of the local electorate in West Oxfordshire.

“And we shall campaign hard in all wards at this election to show that we appreciate that support and want to continue to work for our local community and our residents.”

The Green Party will go up against the Conservatives in every single district council seat.

Spokesman, Kevin Hickman, said: “We’re fielding a candidate in every ward to give a chance for everyone in West Oxfordshire to vote Green.

“If people want to let the Conservatives know what they think about green issues, they should vote Green.”

Labour will contest 11 seats, while the Liberal Democrats fight for ten. There are also two independents standing.

Labour’s Duncan Enright said: “For too long people in West Oxfordshire haven’t been listened to by the Conservative clique which runs the councils. It is about time they were held to account.

“What we want to do is open doors to involve people across the district in how their services are run.”

The Lib Dem’s Liz Leffman said: “There’s no coalition in West Oxfordshire, and the Lib Dems take seriously their role in holding the Conservatives to account, and will continue to do so.

“We are offering the electorate in most wards a real choice at this election, with the intention of creating a political balance on a council that in the past has been overwhelmingly Conservative.”

Witney is one of the most hotly contested areas, both at Witney Town Council and at district level.

At town, 38 people are contesting 17 seats, while at district, 19 people are trying to get one of five seats.

And there is a guaranteed new face in the town council’s Witney East ward, with mayor James Mills standing down.

There will also be some interesting contests for the district council, with Conservative cabinet members Richard Langridge, Mark Booty and Warwick Robinson all up for re-election. Lib Dem leader, Richard Andrews, is also up.

Chipping Norton Town Council could also prove interesting, with 22 people standing for the 16 seats.

But Carterton Town Council is almost a foregone conclusion, with only one of the five wards having more candidates than seats.

It means mayor Norman MacRae, deputy mayor Adrian Coomber, and 11 others have already won their seats.

The election will take place on May 5.

If residents have not received a polling card by today, they have until April 14 to get themselves on the electoral register.

To request a registration form, contact elections@westoxon.gov.uk, or 01993 861410, or print a form from www.westoxon.gov.uk/electoralregister