Oxford Greens new leader elected after local elections

Cllr Lois Muddiman has been elected as the Green Party’s new leader on Oxford City Council amid ongoing negotiations regarding administration at the local authority.

The Green group have stated that it is in continued talks about whether to go into coalition administration at the hung council following the May 7 elections, which saw no overall control for any party.

Muddiman has been a Green councillor for Osney & St Thomas ward since 2022.

She was re-elected in this year’s elections, winning over 50 per cent of the vote. 

Green city councillor Lois Muddiman in Botley Road (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Cllr Chris Jarvis, who took the party into the elections, has stood down from his role, but was re-elected as deputy leader of the party.

The leadership election took place at the first Green group meeting following the local elections.

Mr Jarvis said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as the leader of the Green Group on Oxford City Council for the past five years.

“Over that time, the Green Party has gone from strength to strength. We now have a record number of councillors elected, and our membership has quadrupled in the last year alone. 

“I’m incredibly proud to serve alongside a dynamic, diverse, dedicated group of Green councillors, all of whom are powerful campaigners and committed champions of their communities.

(Image: Oxford City Council.)

“Over the last five years, we’ve secured major achievements for the people of Oxford and our natural world – from rolling out free period products in community centres across the city, to ensuring that all council environmental policies are subject to cross-party scrutiny. 

“After much reflection, I decided that now is the right time to allow for somebody else to take the party forward in the next step in its journey.

“I’m incredibly glad to be handing over to Lois Muddiman who will be a brilliant leader and will ensure the Green Party continues to deliver progressive change for the people of Oxford, and I look forward to supporting her in that role in every way that I can.”

Ms Muddiman called her predecessor an “excellent leader for the past five years“.

She said: “It’s a great privilege to have been re-elected as the Green Party Councillor for Osney and St. Thomas last week and I’m very grateful to my community for placing their trust in me once again.

“I will work hard to represent you and to make Oxford a greener, fairer and more equal city.

“Yesterday, I was further honoured, when the new Green Group of 13 Councillors, the largest we have ever had in Oxford, elected me as their new Group Leader. ”