Following the resignation of County Councillor Michele Paule and City Councillor Nadine Bely-Summers, there will be two by-elections, one for the Rose Hill and Littlemore County Electoral Division and one for the Littlemore City Council Ward.
Labour members in Rose Hill and Littlemore have selected Trish Elphinstone to stand for the Rose Hill and Littlemore County Division and Littlemore Labour members have selected Dr Sandy Douglas to stand for the Littlemore ward on Oxford City Council.
Trish Elphinstone was born and raised in Oxford, growing up in Blackbird Leys. She is a music teacher, part-time musician and an experienced community campaigner. Trish has led issue-based resident campaigns to protect local Post Offices and against poor-quality developments.
Trish Elphinstone said: “It is an honour to be standing for Labour in the upcoming by-election in Rose Hill and Littlemore. With the Tory cost-of-living crisis, exploding NHS waiting lists and underfunded social care services, it has never been more important for people in Rose Hill and Littlemore to have a County Councillor who is on their side and who is trusted to fight their corner. I want to continue this work in the proud tradition of my predecessors, Michele Paule and the late Gill Sanders.
Sandy Douglas previously worked as a doctor at the John Radcliffe Hospital and now works in vaccine research. He is proud to have been part of the University of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine team.
Sandy Douglas said: “Residents in Littlemore deserve a hard-working, accessible Councillor who will listen to their views and make a difference on the issues they raise. I am committed to doing that as part of a strong local Labour team – fighting for a fairer, greener future for Littlemore, and for Oxford.”
Cllr Michele Paule who previously served on the City Council as a Rose Hill councillor and has more recently been a County Councillor for Rose Hill and Littlemore said: “I am sorry to be standing down from my role as a County Councillor.
“This has not been an easy decision. I have loved every moment of the last two years. However, due to ongoing health problems I will now not be able to represent Rose Hill & Littlemore as I would like to.
“I will miss representing our welcoming and dynamic community. I am proud of the difference I have been able to make locally as part of a strong local Labour team.”
Cllr Nadine Bely-Summers said: “As well as being a City Councillor, I work as a psychologist. The ongoing pressures in the NHS are well documented, and with the huge increase in need for mental health services, I want to give all my time to focusing on this work. I am proud of the work that we have achieved as a Labour team in Littlemore.”
Labour’s work in Rose Hill and Littlemore has:
- Delivered a new community centre and pedestrian crossing on Ashurst Way
- Installed new air pollution monitoring on Newman Road and Oxford Road
- Obtained funding for the Rose Hill repair cafe, junior youth club and football club
- Secured business case funding for a new ‘Oxford South’ rail station in Littlemore
- Delivered new traffic calming measures on Oxford Road and new cycle parking for the 28th Scouts
- Delivered an event with advice on how to tackle the cost of living for local residents in Sainsburys
- Ensured successful representations on behalf of local residents about planning applications
Councillor Liz Brighouse, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council said: “We are very sad that Michele is not able to continue as a county councillor. I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for her commitment to the people of Rose Hill and Littlemore and we wish her all the very best in her ongoing treatment.”
Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council, said: “I would like to thank Nadine for her contributions on behalf of local residents in Littlemore for whom she has campaigned very vocally, and for her work on the City Council,. I would also like to thank her for work chairing the Housing and Homelessness Panel of the City Council and her campaigning work on mental health, the Oxford Living Wage and many other local campaigns.”