Nationally, we now have 552,000 members. Great news! Let’s make it a million! http://www.labour.org.uk/join 

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ELECTION RESULTS – 3 May 2018

Headlines … Cassi Perry wins Banbury Cross and Neithrop, Shaida Hussain (Banbury Grimsbury and Hightown) and Barry Richards (Banbury Ruscote) are re-elected, Perran Moon (Banbury Hardwick) 140 votes short of victory. Suzette Watson doubles our vote in Adderbury, Bloxham and Bodicote.

Banbury Cross and Neithrop

Electorate: 5,919

Ballot papers Issued: 2,424

Turnout: 35.5%

Banbury Grimsbury and Hightown

Electorate: 6,119

Ballot papers Issued: 2,232

Turnout: 32.57%

Banbury Hardwick

Electorate: 5,335

Ballot papers Issued: 1,883

Turnout: 30.88%

Banbury Ruscote

Electorate: 5,369

Ballot papers Issued: 1,728

Turnout: 27.87%

Banbury Calthorpe and Easington

Electorate: 6,319

Ballot papers Issued: 2,544

Turnout: 33.8%

Bicester South and Ambrosden

Electorate: 6,349

Ballot papers Issued: 2,168

Turnout: 30.10%

Bicester North and Caversfield

Electorate: 5,348

Ballot papers Issued: 1,700

Turnout: 28.0%

Bicester East

Electorate: 5,328

Ballot papers Issued: 1,914

Turnout: 31.38%

Adderbury, Bloxham and Bodicote

Electorate: 5,939

Ballot papers Issued: 2,496

Turnout: 35.82%

Cropredy, Sibfords and Wroxton

Electorate: 5,644

Ballot papers Issued: 2,796

Turnout: 43.25%

Deddington

Electorate: 6,340

Ballot papers Issued: 2,910

Turnout: 39.78%

Kidlington East

Electorate: 6,293

Ballot papers Issued: 2,608

Turnout: 36.29%

Kidlington West

Electorate: 5,884

Ballot papers Issued: 3,152

Turnout: 45.85%

Launton and Otmoor

Electorate: 5,451

Ballot papers Issued: 2,386

Turnout: 39.03%

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Use it or lose it – Trial period for reinstated Grimsbury Bus Service

Local Labour councillor Hannah Banfield has just fulfilled her main election promise to get a bus service started again for Grimsbury after the B7 bus service was discontinued due to funding cuts of 49% to Oxfordshire County Council’s budget from the Conservative government.

Hannah Banfield said, “I have secured funding for a 12 week trial period starting 30^th April to see if a Grimsbury bus service, the B7a, is viable, so I am urging all Grimsbury residents to play their part in securing this vital community service. Banbury Labour Party will leaflet details of the new service.

Full Story

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Labour calls for drinking water fountains and a campaign to reduce plastic waste

Labour councillors have called for Cherwell District Council to campaign against plastic pollution in a motion to be discussed this month.

The motion, proposed by Labour group Leader Councillor Sean Woodcock, also calls for the council to consider putting drinking water fountains in town and village centres to encourage the use of re-usable drinking water bottles.

Councillor Woodcock said “Blue Planet II brought home to the public the considerable damage caused to eco-systems and the environment by the dumping of plastic in our oceans. Even the government has taken notice with a consultation launched on how to improve recycling levels and cut waste.”

Greenpeace estimates that 12.7m tonnes of plastic end up in oceans every year. Britain accounts for 3.7m tonnes of which only 29% is recycled, despite an industry target to recycle 57% of all plastic by 2020.

Councillor Woodcock continues, “I am calling for the council to set an example by looking at its own level of plastic consumption, to build on the success of Blue Planet 2 with an effective PR campaign to inform the public and to seriously look at putting drinking fountains in our urban centres. This should cut the number of plastic bottles on our streets and in our bins.”

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County Council review of Redlands day centre, is yet another threat to services for vulnerable older people

Redlands, a day-care facility, in Neithrop Avenue, Banbury is having its hours reviewed by Oxfordshire County Council, as part of a county-wide ‘consultation’ about how the Council charges for adult social care services, which may result in a further reduction of facilities in Cherwell for older people and people with disabilities.

Banbury Cross and Neithrop Councillor Surinder Dhesi, “The likelihood of a positive outcome of this review is minimal because the County Council is having to make further cuts in expenditure demanded by the Conservative government.

To save money last year the County Council closed Stanbridge Wellbeing Centre and offered people places in Redlands, which catered for people with disabilities. The result – a much changed and unsatisfactory experience for previous users of the Stanbridge centre, including the lack of catering facilities which meant many users are deprived of their only hot meal of the day.

When I complained about this I was told that users who wanted lunch could go to either Cropredy Lunch Club or Deddington Lunch Club, and it would cost them £49 a day!

Moving these two groups of vulnerable people into the same building at Redlands was a mistake motivated by cost cutting, not their welfare.

When we should be investing in the provision of Day Care Services for our Elderly residents to reduce loneliness and dementia and other mental health problems, and take pressure off the NHS, services across our area are being savagely cut.

Banbury and Bicester Health and Wellbeing Centres have been closed. Age UK have recently closed their remaining North Oxford Day Centres in Kidlington and Burford. This leaves Day Centres in Deddington, Cropredy, Bloxham and Banbury, the latter being the RVS at The Cornhill Centre. This centre has a maximum capacity of 21, and is full.

I am seriously concerned for my constituents and everyone else who relied on these day-care centres, which provided safe, warm and loving environments with much needed social interaction and mental stimulation.”

The County Council consultation closes on March 20th. More info on the consultation here:

https://consultations.oxfordshire.gov.uk/consult.ti/contributions/consultation-home

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The Banbury Labour Party constituency is divided into 3 Branches: