Oxford leader and cabinet confirmed after local elections

The May 7 polls saw the loss of two councillors for the Labour group (an overall loss of one due to a gain in Temple Cowley), including a former leader and 2025/6 cabinet member, Alex Hollingsworth.

The council’s leader (who is also Mr Hollingsworth’s partner), Susan Brown, maintained her seat and is set to continue her tenure with some new faces in cabinet following Mr Hollingsworth’s seat loss and Chew Munkonge taking on the ceremonial role of lord mayor.

The 2026/27 cabinet members were announced at the council’s annual general meeting on May 20.

This came after more than a week of talks following the election results, which saw Lib Dems and Greens vying for alliances to control the council.

On Monday, May 18, it was announced that the result of those talks was that Labour would continue to run the authority in a minority as the largest party, with 20 seats of a possible 48.

The three party groups said they would be working together more closely and had found agreement on a number of issues moving forward.

Revealing her new leadership line-up, Ms Brown said: “The Cabinet will continue to deliver on the council’s priorities of tackling the high cost of living in Oxford, through our campaign to extend the Oxford living wage and building affordable housing, and making Oxford a great place to live by tackling anti-social behaviour with our new community wardens, as well as looking after our neighbourhoods through our free bulky waste collection to tackle flytipping and our increased verge cutting. ”

She said her priority is ensuring the city’s economy is “working for all of Oxford’s citizens” and noted that the cabinet will be working in the “final years” of the council’s existence amid reorganisation.

Ms Brown said: “As a cabinet, we will continue to work with Oxford’s diverse communities and businesses to support their needs. Oxford is a great place to live, work and do business, and we want everyone to feel proud of their neighbourhood.

“That is what we are striving to achieve. ”

The membership is as follows:

• Susan Brown, leader, and cabinet Member for Partnership Working, Inclusive Economic Growth and Culture
• Ed Turner, Deputy Leader (Statutory), and Cabinet Member for Finance and Asset Management
• Anna Railton, Deputy Leader, and Cabinet Member for Planning and Zero Carbon Oxford
• Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities
• Lubna Arshad, Cabinet Member for a Safer Oxford
• Nigel Chapman, Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services and Council Companies
• Mark Lygo, Cabinet Member for a Healthy, Fairer Oxford
• Mike Rowley, Cabinet Member for Regulation of the Private Rented Sector and Preventing Homelessness