On Thursday 6th May 2021, local elections are scheduled. Here in East Abingdon we have had 3 brochures through our door. The pandemic seems to have reduced the usual flood of leaflets.

These elections involve all 63 seats on Oxfordshire County Council, currently controlled by the Conservative Party. 3 of those seats are in Abingdon:

Abingdon East
Cheryl Briggs – Green
Jill Kirkwood – Freedom Alliance. No Lockdowns. No Curfews.
David Pope – Conservative
Alison Rooke – Liberal Democrat
Edward Shelton – Labour

Abingdon North
Michel Grandjean – Green Party
Nathan Ley – Liberal Democrat
Charlotte Njeru – Conservative
Norma Queralt – Labour
Geoff Sandford – Freedom Alliance. No Lockdowns. No Curfews

Abingdon South
Arjun Bais – Labour
Neil Fawcett – Liberal Democrat
Christopher Palmer – Conservative
Eladia Posthill – Reform UK

The County Council spends 80% of local government expenditure, and dwarf district and town council expenditure by a long way. Their main areas of expenditure are:
* Adult and children’s social care (biggest expenditure by a long way)
* Education and learning
* Highways and transport
* Public health improvement and prevention services
* Waste disposal and recycling (the district council collects waste)
* Fire and rescue and community safety
* Libraries, cultural, registration and coroner’s services

There is an election for the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley Police:
Matthew Barber – Conservative
Laetisia Carter – Labour and Co-operative
John Howson – Liberal Democrats
Alan Robinson – Independent

There is an election for Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council – Fitzharris Ock Ward:
Caroline Bullock – Labour
Rawda Jehanli – Liberal Democrat
Cavan Pirouet – Conservative

Abingdon Carbon Cutters have arranged an online hustings where you can book a place here.

The Abingdon Facebook group, run and moderated by James Davis, has also arrange a hustings where candidates are sent questions via the group. Their answers are then posted back through the Facebook group.