By-elections will take place in Abingdon on Thursday 12 March 2026, following the resignation of Green Party councillor Cheryl Briggs. Cheryl served as Mayor of Abingdon from 2021 to 2022 and had been a councillor since 2019. In 2025 she was Vice-Chair of the Environment and Amenities Committee and a member of the Community Committee. She was also a district councillor
I took a picture of the Green Party candidate and supporters crossing the Market Place today. They and the Liberal Democrats have already been active. Nominations close on 13 February so we won’t know the full list of candidates until then.
What happened last time: Abbey ward (Town Council, 2023)
Elected
Liberal Democrat – 537 votes (40.5%)
Green Party – 485 votes (36.6%)
Not elected
Labour – 174 votes (13.1%)
Labour – 130 votes (9.8%)
The town council currently has 18 Liberal Democrat councillors and one vacancy.
What happened last time: Abbey Northcourt (District Council, 2023)
Elected
Liberal Democrat – 1,109 votes (34.3%)
Green Party – 948 votes (29.3%)
Not elected
Conservative – 389 votes (12.0%)
Labour – 299 votes (9.3%)
Conservative – 273 votes (8.4%)
Labour – 215 votes (6.7%)
The district council currently has 31 Liberal Democrat councillors, 3 Green councillors, 2 independents, and 2 vacancies.
At the 2019 and 2023 elections, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party each stood one candidate, even though two seats were available. The next full election of town councillors (and possibly district councillors, depending on local government reorganisation) is due in May 2027.
Cheryl has been a brilliant councillor and Aidan is a worthy replacement. With both Councils already stuffed with Lib Dems there needs to be some opposition and with no other councillors neither Labour or Tory can be that. Same goes for Reform UK Ltd.
I think it is a shame that Parish Councils are run on party lines. There are a lot of people who care deeply about town matters and have valuable skills and experience to contribute but who don’t want to be constrained by party discipline,
That’s what happened in Frome. The community organised, put up an independent in every ward, campaigned hard and won control of the Council. Local democracy in action. In this case there is a by-election due to a councillors I’ll health and only one seat on each council is up for grabs. I’d happily support a Frome scenario in a full council election, the current situation is at best sub-optimal.
I may be losing my sanity, but I believe that I’m in (sorta) agreement with Hester … well done gal! Get with the programme!
Once one political disposition gets control then it begins to think it must be right, which is so wrong … what it needs is a bit of ‘political grit’ in its shoe to remind it that they could be (inconceivably) WRONG … and, of course, they are.
It’s like a plot for a drama, where they are in control, and the players have learned not to deviate from a script of self-reichtousness and believe that the oppositon should be ‘crushed’ …
No, instead they fiddle with stuff and want to make bollocks about … let me see … the Stert Street, Bridge Street, East St. Helens Street, High Street Junction … helicopter planning.
If only we could take these people seriously.