A Christmas Clarion, 23 December 2025

This week’s top stories

Ian Hudspeth, former leader of Oxfordshire County Council, has died. He was awarded an OBE in 2021 for services to local government.

First elected in 2005 as Conservative councillor for Woodstock, including his home village of Bladon, he was swiftly elevated to the Cabinet under then leader Keith Mitchell in 2007 – first taking responsibility for transport, then for growth and infrastructure. By 2011, recognising that Mitchell – an unreconstructed Thatcherite of forthright “politically incorrect” opinions – was well past his prime, he launched an unexpected leadership bid. This failed narrowly, and Mitchell summarily sacked Hudspeth from the Cabinet. But Mitchell had been weakened, and when a second leadership election took place in 2012, Hudspeth was comfortably elected.

His tenure as leader saw Oxfordshire County Council take a markedly different tack. ‘Growth’ was the watchword, with the economy, house-building and business front and centre. His cabinet also recognised that Oxford’s traffic problem couldn’t go on, and where previous transport plans had been timid and ineffectual, he set in train plans to reduce car traffic in Oxford, improve cycle and bus routes, reopen the Cowley Branch Line and a speculative monorail along the A40. His Cabinet introduced new Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and a pilot Zero Emissions Zone in partnership with the Labour City Council.

Like Mitchell’s, his administration was also characterised by budget cuts, ending funding to children’s centres and rural buses. Local MP and prime minister David Cameron, whose Government was pursuing a policy of austerity, wrote to say he was “disappointed at the […] significant cuts to frontline services… I would have hoped that Oxfordshire would instead be following the best practice of Conservative councils in making back office savings”. Hudspeth’s justifiably miffed response pointed out the constraints he was operating under, but nonetheless took pride in “a blistering pace of economic growth – Oxfordshire is growing more quickly than London in percentage terms”.

Hudspeth’s political career outlasted Cameron’s, and there are those who regret that he did not stand to succeed him as Witney MP in the 2016 by-election. But despite losing his Woodstock division to the Liberal Democrats in the 2021 election, he continued to be an influential figure behind the scenes, whether advising on Oxford United’s move to the new Triangle stadium, mentoring new councillors, or volunteering in his beloved Bladon. Most of all, the booming Oxfordshire of 2025 was shaped by him in a manner that brings to mind nothing less than Christopher Wren’s memorial in St Paul’s Cathedral: lector, si monumentum requiris, circumspice.

Conservative group leader Liam Walker paid tribute saying: “Ian cared deeply about his local community. He showed strong, principled leadership during a challenging time for local government and leaves a lasting legacy of public service.”

From other parties, Oxford West & Abingdon MP Layla Moran said: “We crossed swords many a time but he was a good man and diligent public servant.” Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber said: “Ian always showed a great commitment to the community he served and I was proud to count him as a friend. He will most certainly be missed.” Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds added: “We may have been from different political traditions but I know he always wanted the best for Oxfordshire. My sympathies are with his family and friends.”

He is survived by his wife Carolyn and daughter Chloe.

The Botley Road bridge walkway will be closed completely from 1 to 8 February while the bridge is demolished and replaced. Pedestrians will be re-routed via the railway station, with a temporary walkway installed over the tracks.

No trains will run from Oxford to Didcot for the entire week. Trains will continue running to Marylebone via Bicester, and to Worcester via the Cotswolds, plus a very limited stopping service to Banbury.

Around the city

• Three protests converged in Oxford on Saturday, separated by a cordon of 10 police on bicycles and police van. A protest led by the ‘Oxfordshire Patriots’ numbered just 10, with chants including “You can’t leave your child with a lefty”. They carried St George’s Cross, Union and Israeli flags. They shared space on the Martyrs' Memorial in St Giles with a second protest, mounted by around 10 pro-Palestinian protesters, demanding to “stop the genocide”.
       But both were outnumbered by a third protest led by Stand Up To Racism, which attracted around 150 marchers. Chants included “There are many many more of us than there are of you” and “Refugees are welcome here”. A brass band played songs including ‘Bella Ciao’, a song adopted by the antifascist movement in Italy.
       Ian McKendrick, Oxford Stand Up To Racism, said: “The Oxford ‘patriots’ have been stoking up racism by circulating misinformation that refugees pose a threat to women and children when 68% of those arrested on Bristol protests against asylum seekers this year had convictions for domestic violence. Their leader disrupted a vigil in support of Muslims after Oxford Central Mosque was subject to a racist attack. They are claiming their march is to defend local communities, but they have zero support from local community organisations.”
• Oxford United have sacked manager Gary Rowett after “a disappointing run of results”, one year and one day after he was appointed. Chairman Grant Ferguson thanked him for his service, saying “We have had to take this decision in the best interests of the club.” The U’s have only achieved one win in the last 10 games and are currently in the relegation zone of the Championship. Craig Short, who has been caretaker manager twice before, will take over for the Boxing Day game against Southampton.
• Fire crews from around Oxford were called out on Monday after reports of a person in the water near Osney Bridge. Firefighters in drysuits using thermal image cameras, the specialist rescue boat, and a police helicopter carried out a thorough search of the area. The person was found safe and well. Jason Clifton, incident commander, said: “Thankfully this had a happy ending, but we would like to remind everyone how dangerous rivers, canals and flood water can be.”
• Long queues formed in the Covered Market and along Market Street as shoppers waited patiently for the ingredients for their Christmas cheeseboard. The Oxford Cheese Company said it would be handing out mince pies and mulled wine on Tuesday to customers in the queue, to thank them for waiting.
• Stars from Oxford United Football Club visited Oxford Children's Hospital on their annual Christmas visit. Men’s team stars Cameron Brannagan, Will Vaulks & Mark Harris joined Women’s team players Ellie-Mae Richardson, Lucy Trinder, Maisy Barker & Holly Turner to deliver gifts and festive cheer.
• Parents at Oxford's Dragon School are fundraising to send another consignment of medical aid to Ukraine. Dragon Oxford Aid have so far sent over 50 loads to hotspots in Ukraine. St Michael's Church in Summertown, which has become a hub for Ukrainians in Oxford and aid going out to Ukraine, will be also be taking a collection for Dragon Aid at their Christmas Eve crib service.

Around the county

• Oxfordshire County Council says it is “stepping up the removal of flags and unauthorised items” from streetlights given the windy weather. “Placing flags near highways can create safety hazards including reduced visibility for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, and increased risk of distraction.” OCC has been removing flags where they pose an immediate risk, but will now be increasing its level of removals. It adds that installing flags near roads “can lead to personal injury or property damage”. Flags have been installed as part of a nationwide grass roots 'Raise the Colours' campaign, which local residents sometimes removed or repurposed.
       Ian Mckendrick from Oxford Stand Up To Racism said: “It is welcome news that Oxfordshire County Council is stepping up the removal of flags. We have received dozens of messages from people saying how much they see them as part of a racist campaign of intimidation. The 'Raise the Colours: Oxfordshire' Facebook page is littered with racist anti-refugee and Islamophobic posts. Oxfordshire County Council should follow the lead of other councils and charge the organisers the cost of removal to deter their racist campaign.”
• A hoard of 21 silver pennies, dating back to the mid-7th to 8th centuries, has been saved for Oxfordshire's museums following a successful community fundraiser. Villagers from Stoke Row, together with local businesses, raised £1,300 to acquire the treasure. Parish councillor Roger Clayson said: “Stoke Row always responds to a call to action, when it’s for the benefit of our village, raising money for disadvantaged residents, restoring village assets, or in this case keeping a medieval coin find in Oxfordshire.”
• An Indian craft beer giant has taken a stake in an Oxfordshire brewery. Kati Patang has bought 23% of Chadlington Brewery and their brewery tap, the Tite Inn. The Oxford Drinker, CAMRA’s local magazine, reports that Kati Patang was attracted by Chadlington’s new lager facility. The Tite Inn hosts the notorious Great Brook Run on 27 December, a one-mile run through muddy fields, a stream and a tunnel (crawling required). The organisers describe it as “a fun run, not a race” though we are not entirely convinced by the “fun” part.
• Another outbreak of bird flu (H5N1) has been confirmed in Oxfordshire. A backyard flock at Tusmore, near Bicester, has been culled and a 3km radius control zone established.
• 74 new homes are proposed to be built beside the canal marina in the sought-after village of Cropredy, near Banbury. The low-density development by Pegasus would comprise 48 open-market homes (18x 2-bed, 19x 3-bed, 9x 4-bed) and 26 affordable. Plans are with Cherwell District Council.
• A 65-year-old man from Stroud was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and failing to stop at the scene of a collision. Matthew Pring, 23, a pedestrian at the time, died after being hit by a car in Bladon. His family said: “He was loved by all and it was amazing how quickly he could light up a room. As a family we don’t know how to put into words what has happened or how we will overcome our tragic loss.” While two drivers stopped at the scene and contacted ambulance services, police are appealing for witnesses and dash cam footage.
• The Environment Agency says that its sandbags are succeeding in keeping the illegal waste dumped near Kidlington out of the River Cherwell. A 150m barrier of fencing and sandbags has been erected around the dump. Photos posted to the EA’s update page show rubbish being held back by the fencing while water laps against the sandbags.
• The Social Mobility Commission’s State of the Nation 2025 report identifies Oxfordshire as a “hotspot for innovation, growth and opportunity”. Places like this show that targeted investment and strong local ecosystems can improve opportunity, and are described as magnets for international businesses.
       Among their three ‘Drivers of [social] mobility’ indices, Oxfordshire is rated at the ‘most favourable’ category in Conditions in Childhood, and Innovation and Growth, but ‘middling’ for Labour Market Opportunities for Young People. It was ‘favourable’ for Promising Prospects for 25-44 year-olds.
       The Commission notes that successful areas show what is possible, and contrast with other parts of the UK still facing long-term structural disadvantage, although any region will include both prosperous neighbourhoods and disadvantaged areas. They warn that the pace and scale of change must increase to ensure opportunity is not concentrated in just a handful of places, and conclude that the UK is ‘middle of the table’ for social mobility – but like other nations, it appears to be seeing a decline in upward mobility due to a slow-down in the expansion of management and professional roles.
• Did you nominate a punning title for an Oxfordshire gritter? Follow your truck around the county on frosty nights with this interactive map of gritter locations. (It also doubles as an informative map of which roads are gritted.)

Oxfordshire politics

The row over the possibility of postponing next year’s local elections rumbles on. Oxford City Council, West Oxfordshire and Cherwell district council elections could potentially be postponed while councils are reorganised.

The LibDems have come out against postponement, with Layla Moran MP and city group leader Cllr Chris Smowton saying: “With local government reorganisation delayed and democratic mandates fading, voters deserve their say on the local Labour administration and Keir Starmer’s leadership.” Labour councillors were quick to point out that Oxfordshire LibDems had previously endorsed (albeit reluctantly) a postponement to County Council elections earlier this year.

The Conservatives in Oxford City (current councillor tally: 0) are also in favour of the elections continuing as planned. In a statement to the Clarion, they point out that there is no clear timetable for the move to a unitary authority, with a failure to hold these elections seeing councillors elected in 2022 entrenched indefinitely. Vinay Raniga, deputy chair of Oxford Conservatives, said:

“Democracy depends on regular, predictable opportunities for voters to hold their elected representatives to account. Delaying these elections undermines that fundamental principle and risks eroding residents’ trust in our system of local government. Labour cannot claim to be strengthening our democracy by suspending our vote.”

• Banbury MP Sean Woodcock welcomed the Independent Farming Profitability Review and its recommendations for a closer partnership between government and farming. (Not too close?) He also welcomed the UK's return to the Erasmus scheme. (Banbury voted 50.35% Leave in the EU referendum, albeit pre-boundary change: we imagine the inclusion of Chipping Norton and Charlbury might have swung it the other way.) He opened the Islamic community centre in Banbury which attracted the usual halfwits to his Facebook page. And he's posted a heartfelt Christmas Q&A.
• Bicester & Woodstock MP Calum Miller raised the issue of house-building in Parliament, saying that Cherwell District Council has approved over 10,000 homes which remain unbuilt while developers sit on land and energy infrastructure is not connected. He asked the Government to introduce “use it or lose it” powers so approved homes are actually built where they are needed, adding that the necessary infrastructure must come first. He also secured a ministerial meeting on protecting probation officers, after a constituent told him her colleague in the Oxford Probation Office had been stabbed multiple times. And finally, he posted this extraordinary Twitter thread, showing how local anglers had been trying to raise the alarm on the Kidlington dump, and a chance door-knock enabled the MP to escalate.
• Witney MP Charlie Maynard visited Carterton Sorting Office for a classic MP photo op; reminded people of WODC's bin collection times (excellent public service, no notes); encouraged people to use their local Post Office or lose it in this video; and called the mooted cancelling of local elections “undemocratic, suspicious, cowardly and self-serving” saying “We’re a democracy: let the elections go ahead!” After the government published a report on farming profitability, he called for more support for farmers, saying help was needed on supply chain fairness, seasonal workers and small abattoir regulations.
• Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds, a former MEP, is delighted the UK is rejoining Erasmus. (Oxford East voted 67.47% Remain.) She asked a question in Parliament about what can be done to protect civilians in Sudan in the run up to Christmas as violence is expected to escalate. She also celebrated the Labour government ramping up support for survivors of domestic abuse, in a £1bn Violence against Women and Girls strategy. She took part in the Santa Fun run for Helen and Douglas House, and while we commend her community spirit, we think it is brave of any MP to be photographed next to a turkey… Back on Europe, she launched the Oxford Symposium of the Foundation for European Progressive Studies, commenting:

“It was great to welcome progressive politicians, thinkers and journalists from across Europe to Oxford. We discussed our shared challenges and opportunities, on issues from the cost of living to tech regulation and national security.”

• Oxford West & Abingdon MP Layla Moran inspected progress at the A34 Lodge Hill junction, with a suitable on-brand LibDem orange hi-viz. We hope she's keeping the outfit for damp canvassing sessions. Her Health & Social Care Select Committee celebrated the 12 days of Christmas by grilling Health Secretary Wes Streeting on 12 subjects which were (deep breath) 12 Mental health, 11 ADHD & autism, 10 Baroness Amos' maternity review, 9 Doctor strikes, 8 Palliative care, 7 NHS workforce, 6 Sexual health, 5 Dementia, 4 Scandals, 3 Public-private partnerships, 2 Winter pressure, 1 Public health. (Please don’t try and sing it.)
• Didcot & Wantage MP Olly Glover is concerned about Evri deliveries after getting complaints from his constituents. In Parliament he asked for more central government support for local sports clubs, saying they have the power to bring communities together.
• Henley & Thame MP Freddie van Mierlo strongly opposes building on Chalgrove Airfield, and in his latest salvo has written to the Housing Minister to emphasise its importance to defence manufacturer Martin-Baker and local emergency services. In Parliament he debated the relative security of a digital ID vs a passport. (We feel like this ship may have sailed, but also rather glad someone is asking the question; the video is worth a watch for both sides of the debate.)
• Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber shared this recap of his week, which included meeting about modern slavery to discuss criminal businesses operating on the high street, and with councils on CCTV plans. He says the Government’s local authority finance settlement will leave Thames Valley Police £9m worse off: “I am appalled by the way the Government has handled this process, which leaves forces struggling to balance budgets.”

University and research

• J.R.R. Tolkien’s Merton College desk fetched £330,200 at auction, almost seven times the guide price. Christie's auction house say it is likely that “he managed the proofs of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King” from the desk: “the roll-top formed part of his daily editorial and scholarly practice”.
• A statue to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the manufacture of the first MG car by Cecil Kimber, former general manager of Morris Motors, could stand in New College. The former Morris Garage is now part of the college, who have applied for consent for its installation in the Morris Garage Quad. The sculpture will be created by artist Paul Day, in bronze, to mark the significance of the former garage. The Morris Garage Quad is bordered not only by the former garage, but also three further listed buildings and a surviving section of the city wall.
• Oxford Brookes research is rethinking fashion. Dr Rebecca Beech studied the UK fashion rental market to explore balancing growth and sustainability. Fast fashion creates waste, emissions, and microplastic pollution. Rental offers a circular alternative for consumers and brands. Dr Beech says as we are “moving towards slower, more mindful consumption… It’s worth questioning what companies are doing to be more environmentally friendly”. More about their research.
• Oxford University Hospitals Trust has refurbished 17 abandoned bicycles for its staff to use. Bikes left on hospital grounds are repaired by prisoners in Aylesbury and Peterborough as part of a corporate social responsibility scheme called Recirculate. We previously reported a similar project at HMP Bullingdon, under the name LifeCycle.
• Oxford University has appointed Mark E. Smith as its next Pro-Vice Chancellor for Planning and Resources. We were briefly excited by this story before remembering that the better-known Mark E. Smith died in 2018 and would have been wholly unsuitable as a Vice-Chancellor for Resources in any case:

“Referring to the Fall's 60-odd former members, Smith said that he had ‘only’ fired around half the number of people he is said to have dismissed, and that some left of their own free will. He would fire musicians for seemingly trivial reasons; he once dismissed a sound engineer for eating a salad, later explaining that ‘the salad was the last straw’.”

Trains, buses – and cable cars

• Catching the bus over Christmas? Here’s the information you need: Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel, Stagecoach and Oxford Tube, Pulhams. No local bus services will operate on Christmas Day, but the Airline coach will operate a special timetable to Heathrow Airport.
• Oxford’s Hop-On Hop-Off bus offers a magical elf trail for families this Christmas. Find five cheeky elves across the city and solve riddles to reveal a festive sentence that will net you a sweet reward at the City Sightseeing Oxford visitor information points.
• Could cable cars be a solution to Oxford’s congestion? Following the news that Paris has launched a cable car, a councillor is calling for this to be explored in Oxford. Cllr Emily Kerr (Green) said: “Cable cars are cheap, fun, and low environmental impact. We should be following transport innovators like Paris in considering all options. I’d love to see a feasibility study done on one from the Park & Rides into Oxford, which would help commuters avoid morning rush hour and provide a compelling reason for tourist coaches to stay out of the city centre.” Cable cars were last mooted in 2018, when they received backing from then leader Ian Hudspeth, who we wrote about above: “We can't build more roads in Oxford, we know we're constrained by buildings. If this is an alternative by using the space above, I don't see why we shouldn't consider it.”
• Banbury railway station’s western car park has reopened as part of the new Tramway Road works. Chiltern Railways said the programme, including cycleways, bus access and improved parking would be “transformational” for station users.

Happy Christmas from Clarion HQ

This is our last Clarion newsletter for Christmas – we’ll see you in the New Year. The festive season can be tough. Don’t forget there are people here to help: Samaritans 116 123, National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247, The Silver Line (over 55s) 0800 4 70 80 90.

For a heartwarming Christmas read while you’re waiting for the King's Speech to start, we loved this write-up (in indie news pioneer the Manchester Mill) of Clarion founder Robert Blatchford’s Cinderella Clubs for hungry children.

And to close, some Christmas music. Show your Oxford loyalty by forgoing the siren voices of Carols from King’s, and listen to the choirs of our own cathedral instead. Here’s the streaming/playback links:

• Nine Lessons and Carols on Monday with Frideswide Voices (the girls’ choir)
• Nine Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve at 3.05pm with the Cathedral Choir
• Choral Matins on Christmas Day at 9.35am with the Cathedral Choir

We’ll leave you with this new Christmas piece by local composer Jenny Mahler, sung by Oxford’s Ensemble 45 and conducted by Will Dawes. A very happy Christmas to Clarionettes everywhere.