On the morning of April 18th, when the election was announced, I happened to be passing Abingdon Street and saw the odds on a party getting the most seats were:
Con 1/10
Lab 6/1
Lib Dem 25/1

On the eve of the election, passing the local betting station, I see that the odds for getting most seats are now:
Con 1/20
Lab 8/1
Lib Dem 500/1

Here in Oxford and West and Abingdon, on Paddy Power, the odds on the 4 parties winning are
Con 1/5
Lib Dem 11/4
Lab 100/1
UKIP 200/1

The Green Candidate decided to stand down at this election as some greens will be lending their vote to the Lib Dems.

There was a minute’s silence at the start of the hustings for the victims of the terror attacks in Manchester and London.

The three candidates to become the next MP for Oxford West and Abingdon were Nicola Blackwood (Conservative), Marie Tidball (Labour), Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat). The event was at the Amey Theatre, part of Abingdon School, and was organised by The Church in Abingdon, and Abingdon-on-Thames Chamber of Commerce. Chris Bryan, Chairman of The Abingon Bridge Charity, chaired the meeting.

Alan Harris (UKIP) could not make it.

Candidates answered questions on Education, Brexit, and the NHS, during the first hour. There followed questions on local issues in the last half hour. These were: regenerating the town centre, house building, and local control of planning.

The current MP, Nicola Blackwood said improvements have been made in the precinct and Abbey Meadows, but that the Charter and the Guildhall still need more work. She said that footfall is not increasing enough. On Drayton Road traffic, and the Lodge Hill interchange on the A34 she said that although she had been let down on the guarantee given at the last election 2 years ago, there was now a new cast iron guarantee it would get funding. She also had something to say about the local BID (Business Improvement District). Nicola said “The BID is not working as well as it should. It should have made a real difference. But is is not doing what it was sold as.” There is a meeting of the BID tomorrow evening where local businesses will have their say about its performance after the first year.

Marie Tidball said Labour would provide better infrastructure in the way of roads and buses to allow people to get to local towns like Abingdon. She lamented that under the Conservatives subsidised bus routes have gone. Labour would also support small and medium businesses with an investment bank, and give help to small and medium businesses when they increase Corporation Tax generally.

Layla Moran would also look to increase footfall by making it easier to get to town on public transport, and give cycling a higher priority. She said there was a need for spending more of local business rates locally. She would also like to encourage more town centre events.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) has been phased out for people aged 16 to 64.

This has been replaced by Personal Independence Payments (PIP). People between 16 and 64 are entitled to £22 and £141.10 a week if they are successful in their PIP assessment.

Conservative leader Theresa May was taken to task over disability benefit cuts as she met an angry voter. Cathy, a well known person in Abingdon, squared up to the Prime Minister and condemned the Government’s cuts to help for people with disabilities.

Cathy has had the ear of the Prime Minister for a few minutes and made some headlines. Cathy said she had a mild learning disability and said she wanted her Disability Living Allowance back.

She confronted Mrs May as the Prime Minister visited Abingdon for a general election campaign visit.

She stood up for all those who had lost out through disability benefit cuts that have left some of the most vulnerable in distress. It made headlines.

County Council elections are on Thursday May 4th. They could be the last before Oxfordshire County Council becomes a Unitary Council.

A month later is the general election. Normally such elections would be planned in advance and happen on the same day. Having two elections will presumably double the expense for the district council.

We got our polling cards a couple of weeks ago, but I have not noticed any literature from any of the parties until this morning when our first County Council candidate, Alison Rooke, came knocking the doors of West St Helen Street.

It was amusing to see in the Abingdon Herald this week that instead of Mike Badcock, one party’s candidate for Abingdon South, the paper has mistakenly shown Neil Fawcett, another party’s candidate for Abingdon South.