Agenda item

"The Council calls on each of the candidates in the five Oxfordshire constituencies:

(a)          to speak up for local government;

(b)          to pledge to build the homes and provide the improved transport that Oxfordshire desperately needs;

(c)          to support our schools, colleges and universities;

(d)          to back a vibrant low carbon economy;

(e)          to commit to a Living Wage and a more equal society;

(f)           to promote an international, tolerant and safer county;

(g)          to respond to the needs of our scientific, automotive, agricultural and military communities;

(h)          to invest in our hospitals and the National Health Service in the county;

(i)            to support and safeguard our elderly and disabled residents, and our young people;

We expect those elected to represent Oxfordshire in the House of Commons to work tirelessly for a prosperous, fairer, greener and more beautiful Oxfordshire for all and urges every resident who can to use their vote in the General Election on May 7^th.

Councillor Tanner moved and Councillor Fooks seconded the following motion as amended with Council’s agreement by Councillor Jean Fooks in bold italics/strikethrough:

"The Council calls on each of the candidates in the five Six Oxfordshire constituencies:

(a)  to speak up for local government; to stand up for the vital importance of local government , requesting adequate funding and devolution of both powers and budgets to a local level;

(b)  to pledge to build the homes and provide the improved transport that Oxfordshire desperately needs;

(c)  to support our schools, colleges and universities;

(d)  to back a vibrant low carbon economy;

(e)  to commit to a Living Wage and a more equal society;

(f)   to promote an international, tolerant and safer county;

(g)  to respond to the needs of our scientific, automotive, agricultural and military communities;

(h)  to invest in our hospitals and the National Health Service in the county;

(i)    to support and safeguard our elderly and disabled residents, and our young people;

(j)     

We expect those elected to represent Oxfordshire in the House of Commons to work tirelessly for a prosperous, fairer, greener and more beautiful Oxfordshire for all and urges every resident who can to use their vote in the General Election on May 7^th.

Councillor David Williams moved and Councillor Coates seconded the following amendment in bold italics/strikethrough:

"This Council calls on each of the candidates in the five six Oxfordshire constituencies:

a)            to speak out up for local government and not to vote for the slow decline we have had since 1979;

b)             to pledge to build the homes and the improved transport that Oxfordshire desperately needs rather than trumpet  vague figures the private sector might  possibly achieve;

c)            to support our schools, colleges and universities by not charging fees and stop introducing academies and free schools;

d)            to back a vibrant low carbon economy with a real Green New Deal programme of activities that will deliver the targets;

e)            to commit to a living wage and a more equal society reversing the trend over the last 20 years;

f)             to promote an internationally, tolerant and safer County by not pandering to xenophobes and racists;

g)            to respond to the needs of our scientific , automotive, agricultural and military communities and all the other groups who make up our society rather than consistently doing the bidding of the business community;

h)           to invest in  our hospitals and the National Health Service by rejecting the privatisation of services completely.

i)             to support and safeguard our elderly and disabled residents and our young people not with empty rhetoric but real well funded programmes of support.

We expect those elected to represent Oxfordshire in the House of Commons to work tirelessly for a more prosperous, equal,

peaceful,  greener and more sustainable  Oxfordshire for all and urge every resident who is still registered to use their vote in the General Election on May the 7th."

Following debate, the amendment was put to the vote and was lost by 57 votes to 2, with 1 abstention.

Councillor Hilary Hibbert-Biles then moved and Councillor Constance seconded the following amendment shown in bold italics and strikethrough:

"The Council calls on each of the candidates in the five Oxfordshire constituencies:

(a)          to speak up for local government;

(b)          to pledge to build the homes and provide the improved transport that Oxfordshire desperately needs; where needed

(c)          to support our schools, colleges and universities;

(d)          to back a vibrant low carbon economy;

(e)          to commit to a Living Wage and a more equal society;

(f)           to promote an international, tolerant and  a safer county;

(g)          to respond to the needs of our scientific, automotive, agricultural and military communities;

(h)          to invest in our hospitals and the National Health Service in the county;

(i)           to support and safeguard our elderly and disabled  vulnerable residents. and our young people;

We expect those elected to represent Oxfordshire in the House of Commons to work tirelessly for a prosperous, fairer, greener and more beautiful Oxfordshire for all and urges every resident who can to use their vote in the General Election on May 7th.

Following debate, the amendment was put to the vote and was carried by 33 votes to 27.

The substantive motion as amended was then put to the vote and was carried by 33 votes to 16, with 11 abstentions.

RESOLVED: (by 33 votes to 16, with 11 abstentions)

"The Council calls on each of the candidates in the six Oxfordshire constituencies:

(a)          to stand up for the vital importance of local government , requesting adequate funding and devolution of both powers and budgets to a local level;

(b)          to pledge to build the homes and provide the improved transport where needed;

(c)          to support our schools, colleges and universities;

(d)          to commit to a Living Wage and a more equal society;

(e)          to promote a safer county;

(f)           to respond to the needs of our scientific, automotive, agricultural and military communities;

(g)          to invest in our hospitals and the National Health Service in the county;

(h)          to support and safeguard our vulnerable residents.

We expect those elected to represent Oxfordshire in the House of Commons to work tirelessly for Oxfordshire and urge every resident who can to use their vote in the General Election on May