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Goddard quits as Lib Dem leader
The fallout from Thursday's local elections continued this morning when Oxford's Liberal Democrat group leader John Goddard quit his post.
Mr Goddard - who had led his group and Oxford City Council since May, 2006 - tendered his resignation at a Lib Dem group meeting where his long-time deputy David Rundle became his successor.
Mr Rundle was voted in unanimously and Stephen Brown, who defeated Tory group leader Paul Sargent, swiftly becomes deputy group leader.
Meanwhile, Labour city councillor Bob Price was re-elected as group leader, becoming the new leader of the city council in the process.
Ed Turner was voted as his deputy.
In contrast to results up and down the rest of the country, Labour in Oxford picked up four extra seats after Thursday's elections, taking their tally to 23 - one seat short of an overall working majority.
Mr Goddard said: "My first choice would have been to in enough seats to continue leading the council.
"But I am sure what I am doing is the right thing to do. I shall still be a lively member of the group. I am not retiring."
Although he was disappointed Labour in Oxford bucked the national trend, Mr Goddard took a swipe at two former Lib Dem councillors who defected from the ranks to set up a Conservative group without endorsement from the electorate they represented.
Both Mr Sargent and Tia MacGregor were booted out of their seats in Carfax and Quarry and Risinghurst respectively.
Mr Goddard said: "We have wiped the slate clean of Conservatives - and I hope that serves as a lesson people should not defect."
Mr Price said: "We will continue with cross-party working, as we have in the past."
Oxford City Council is now made up of: Labour (23 councillors); Liberal Democrat (16); Green (seven); Independent Working Class Association (two).
2:10pm Saturday 3rd May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Captain Sensible, Oxford on 10:01pm Sat 3 May 08
Cheerio God.
Posted by: Oxford girl, Jericho on 10:37pm Sat 3 May 08
Glad lib dems are no longer in control and he has stepped down. Perhaps the council will actually be nicer to people again and treat people with respect.
Glad lib dems are no longer in control and he has stepped down. Perhaps the council will actually be nicer to people again and treat people with respect.
Posted by: Ed, Oxford on 10:00am Sun 4 May 08
Well said Oxford girl, perhaps the LibDems will now learn that arrogance doesn't gain votes.
Well said Oxford girl, perhaps the LibDems will now learn that arrogance doesn't gain votes.
Posted by: Tony Brett, Oxford on 2:12pm Sun 4 May 08
Actually Bob won't become leader of the council until the annual council meeting later this month.
Congratulations to John on an excellent period of office that has really shown impressive improvement (in the words of the Audit Commission) to the sorry state the City Council was in at the end of the last period of Labour control.
Let's hope the Labour lot do a better job this time. They could hardly do worse than they did over last 20 years or so.
Actually Bob won't become leader of the council until the annual council meeting later this month.
Congratulations to John on an excellent period of office that has really shown impressive improvement (in the words of the Audit Commission) to the sorry state the City Council was in at the end of the last period of Labour control.
Let's hope the Labour lot do a better job this time. They could hardly do worse than they did over last 20 years or so.
Posted by: Neil, Oxford on 4:47pm Sun 4 May 08
It is worth noting that the Lib Dems did actually gain seats on Thursday, Labour just gained more. It will be interesting to see whether Labour can achieve the significant increase in recycling the Lib Dems did, and how the Audit Commission will view their rate of improvement compared to the praise for the lib Dems in the most recent report.
It is worth noting that the Lib Dems did actually gain seats on Thursday, Labour just gained more. It will be interesting to see whether Labour can achieve the significant increase in recycling the Lib Dems did, and how the Audit Commission will view their rate of improvement compared to the praise for the lib Dems in the most recent report.
Posted by: East Oxford, East Oxford on 8:43pm Sun 4 May 08
These last two comments are symptomatic of the reasons why the Libs got hammered on Thursday. The Lib Dems *didn't* achieve the increases in recycling -- that was the good people of Oxford who did that, irrespective of the posturing, threats and hectoring from the administration. I am sure that Labour will be a bit more humble than Goddard, Fooks and the rest of the outgoing leaders, and will listen to the people a bit more, not constantly boss them around and then claim credit when things go right. That's why I voted for them on Thursday, along with lots of my neighbours.
These last two comments are symptomatic of the reasons why the Libs got hammered on Thursday. The Lib Dems *didn't* achieve the increases in recycling -- that was the good people of Oxford who did that, irrespective of the posturing, threats and hectoring from the administration. I am sure that Labour will be a bit more humble than Goddard, Fooks and the rest of the outgoing leaders, and will listen to the people a bit more, not constantly boss them around and then claim credit when things go right. That's why I voted for them on Thursday, along with lots of my neighbours.
Posted by: Mr Ison, England on 10:06pm Sun 4 May 08
The police need to be looking into the retirement homes.
The police need to be looking into the retirement homes.
Posted by: Mr Ison, England on 10:07pm Sun 4 May 08
The police need to be looking into the retirement homes.
The police need to be looking into the retirement homes.
Posted by: Joe, Oxford on 12:12pm Mon 5 May 08
Good to see the Tories wiped out and the Greens go down. These results make it even clearer that Oxford is now a two horse race between the Lib Dems and Labour.
Good to see the Tories wiped out and the Greens go down. These results make it even clearer that Oxford is now a two horse race between the Lib Dems and Labour.
Posted by: Andrew, Oxford on 1:27pm Mon 5 May 08
[quote][bold]Oxford girl[/bold] wrote:
Glad lib dems are no longer in control and he has stepped down. Perhaps the council will actually be nicer to people again and treat people with respect.[/quote] You're sadly deluded if you think a Labour run council is going to be better for the people of Oxford.
Labour are responsible for the parlous state of this citys finances. They are inept.
I know of one Labour Councillor who is known to be unpleasant, so much so that one of the reasons for the high sicknote count in the council.
Labour voters may crow, but anyone with any level of common sense knows that Labour are single-handedly bankrupting this city, its residents and the country.
Wait for your next council tax rise, your next vehicle excise duty bill, your fuel costs, food costs etc etc to be met and most working class people will find luxury will soon be an occasional walk in the street and that's about all they'll be able to afford.
Oxford girl wrote:
Glad lib dems are no longer in control and he has stepped down. Perhaps the council will actually be nicer to people again and treat people with respect.
You're sadly deluded if you think a Labour run council is going to be better for the people of Oxford.
Labour are responsible for the parlous state of this citys finances. They are inept.
I know of one Labour Councillor who is known to be unpleasant, so much so that one of the reasons for the high sicknote count in the council.
Labour voters may crow, but anyone with any level of common sense knows that Labour are single-handedly bankrupting this city, its residents and the country.
Wait for your next council tax rise, your next vehicle excise duty bill, your fuel costs, food costs etc etc to be met and most working class people will find luxury will soon be an occasional walk in the street and that's about all they'll be able to afford.
Posted by: Worried on 2:58pm Mon 5 May 08
[quote][bold]Joe[/bold] wrote:
Good to see the Tories wiped out and the Greens go down. These results make it even clearer that Oxford is now a two horse race between the Lib Dems and Labour.[/quote] How incredibly stupid this comment is.
You've obviously not looked into the results beyond the fact 2 councillors lost seats for the Tories.
ACROSS THE BOARD THE TORIES INCREASED THEIR VOTE. PATRICK MURRAY HAD HIS MAJORITY SLASHED TO MINIMAL FIGURES AS DID OTHERS INCLUDING THE LIBDEMS POSTER BOY STEPHEN TALL.
It's no longer a simple two horse race. The Tories now have a good base from which to launch an excellent County campaign, and City campaign over the next two years.
Anyone glad to see it narrowed to a choice of two inept groups running the show in Oxford are as insane as Gordon Brown.
Joe wrote:
Good to see the Tories wiped out and the Greens go down. These results make it even clearer that Oxford is now a two horse race between the Lib Dems and Labour.
How incredibly stupid this comment is.
You've obviously not looked into the results beyond the fact 2 councillors lost seats for the Tories.
ACROSS THE BOARD THE TORIES INCREASED THEIR VOTE. PATRICK MURRAY HAD HIS MAJORITY SLASHED TO MINIMAL FIGURES AS DID OTHERS INCLUDING THE LIBDEMS POSTER BOY STEPHEN TALL.
It's no longer a simple two horse race. The Tories now have a good base from which to launch an excellent County campaign, and City campaign over the next two years.
Anyone glad to see it narrowed to a choice of two inept groups running the show in Oxford are as insane as Gordon Brown.
Posted by: Ummmm, Oxford on 5:53pm Mon 5 May 08
Probably wasn't that hard to slash Stephen Tall's majority, since he wasn't actually standing.
Probably wasn't that hard to slash Stephen Tall's majority, since he wasn't actually standing.
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