See also: our candidates in Headington Hill & Northway and Quarry & Risinghurst wards

This May 6th Oxford will elect its county and city councillors, as well as the Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner.

Roz Smith and Altaf-Khan and both experienced councillors who are running again this year. Stef Garden is stepping down due to moving away from Oxford, and Chris Smowton is running for her seat.

If elected, we will work to green Headington, invest in walking, cycling and buses, provide a local voice on planning, closely involve all residents in transport decisions including LTNs (low-traffic neighbourhoods), and tackle Oxford’s spiralling housing costs.

The only other realistic choice here is Labour (the Conservatives only got 6% of the Headington ward vote last time (2018), and the Greens only got 5%). We think voting Labour would be a poor choice, because they have failed to carefully listen and consult, particularly on LTNs, they have undermined our Park & Ride sites by permitting the Westgate to provide cheap central parking leading to frequent gridlock, and they have failed to deliver a safe crossing for the A40 between Risinghurst and Barton, which residents on both sides badly need.

Brief biographies of our candidates:

Roz Smith (for Headington & Quarry county division): Roz was born in Oxfordshire and has lived here for most of her life. She was first elected as a councillor in 2005. She is active as a trustee for several local charities and as a school governor. She campaigns on local green issues and wants to use her extensive council experience for the benefit of Headington residents.

Altaf-Khan (for Headington ward): Altaf has lived and worked in OX3 for more than two decades and is very familiar with the area, the people and local issues. He was first elected as an County councillor in 2005 for Headington & Marston Division. He has been Lord Mayor and served on scrutiny and planning committees. He always speaks up for our area.

Chris Smowton (for Headington ward): Dr Smowton is a local volunteer and campaigner who first ran for election in 2016. He is running for the seat currently held by Stef Garden, who is unable to continue serving as a councillor as she is moving away from Oxford. He works as a software engineer and intends to bring that problem-solving mindset to politics.

If you have questions for our candidates or anything else you’d like to say, you can get in touch any time: headington@oxonlibdems.uk