Councillor slams six-minute debate on Oxford Mini Plant jobs

Oxford City Council spent just over five minutes debating a successful motion entitled ‘Support for Mini Plant Oxford’, which Dr Amir Latif said wasn’t enough time for the issue.

Proposed by Linda Smith, the motion at the full council meeting on Monday, March 23, came after it was claimed a number of jobs had been lost at the Cowley factory over electric cars.

The previous Conservative government committed to phasing out the sale of petrol and diesel new cars in the UK by 2030.

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It left manufacturers such as BMW, which owns Mini, looking at expanding their electric vehicle offering.

However, no electric cars are being made in Cowley right now, and no specific date has been given when electric vehicle production will start at the plant.

Ms Smith has described the automotive sector as being in the midst of a “low-volume crisis” saying it would “not be an exaggeration to say that the Mini Plant Oxford has been (and continues to be) one of the worst hit”.

Councillor Linda Smith (Image: Contributed)

The motion at the meeting called on the council to meet with Unite the Union at the factory to hear their concerns and to engage with BMW on the UK’s transition to electric vehicles.

However, there was only limited time to debate the proposals with the majority of the hour allotted to motions on notice given to the funding for Oxpens Bridge and on people imprisoned for Palestine Action activity.

The council has clarified that those motions were left over from the previous meeting, which would have happened to the one on the Mini Plant, if it had not gone ahead when it might have been discussed for longer.

Cars at the Oxford Mini factory in Cowley (Image: BMW/Mini)

Instead it was the last item before the meeting’s end with councillors appearing to speak hurriedly on it.

Dr Latif tried to end the meeting before the Mini factory motion could be debated calling it a “big thing for Oxford”.

He said: “I thought it was a bit disrespectful that the Labour Party tried to push it through in six minutes.”

The Oxford Independent Group councillor added: “They wanted to push it through so they could put it on their election material; families deserve better than that really.”

Councillor Amir Latif (Image: Oxford City Council.)

Ms Smith said it was “disappointing not to have more time”.

In the speech she planned, but didn’t get to deliver, she would have highlighted how securing production of a new electric Mini at Cowley remains critical.

The Labour politician added: “I’m glad some time was made and that it received widespread approval across the chamber.”

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Her party colleague Lubna Arshad, whose ward includes the plant, said she was proud to support the motion.

She added: “This is about standing up for our workforce and our future.”

David Henwood, leader of the Oxford Independent Alliance Group, said he was pleased they had the opportunity to vote and “represent the workers I’ve grown up with”.

He added: “I would have liked the motion to have gone further, to secure and protect jobs, homes and our future.”