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We have an amazing team of candidates standing for election to Oxford City Council on the 7th of May 2026.
Our 2026 Green candidates are an amazing group of ordinary people, everyday activists and community figures from varied walks of life, backgrounds and professions – representing the diversity of the city we are proud to call home. What unites them is a passion for building a fairer, greener Oxford.
Greens are fighting for meaningful change, and our 2026 manifesto proposes the improvements to everyday life a Green-led City Council could offer.
THANK YOU OXFORD! These were RECORD BREAKING elections with 13 councillors elected! If you haven’t yet joined… now is the time to do so!
Oxford is one of the least affordable cities in the UK. A big part of the cost of living crisis in our city is our broken housing system which is pushing people into precarity, poverty and homelessness.
The Green Party believes that access to affordable, secure and decent housing is a human right. Nobody should be left unhoused or have insecure accommodation. Local government has an important role to play in tackling the housing crisis – but many of the solutions require intervention from national government too.
As a result, the Green Party’s commitments to the people of Oxford take two forms.
1. Ensuring Oxford City Council takes every step it can to address the housing crisis in our city.
2. Tirelessly lobbying national government for changes to the housing sector – including through giving new powers to local councils to properly address the crisis.
A Green Party run Oxford would:
● Introduce an Oxford Living Rent to promote affordability in the private rented sector. This would build on the pioneering working of the Oxford Living Wage which has increased the pay of hundreds of workers across our city.
● Establish a council-backed letting agency in order to deliver fairer rents, more secure contracts and improvements in the sustainability of the housing stock.
● Lobby central government to give councils the power to introduce private sector rent controls and to end the right to buy policy which has hollowed out council housing stock.
● Significantly increase the proportion of social and affordable housing in developments that take place in the city, and ensure they are accessible for disabled people – including through safe and secure storage spaces for mobility aids.
● Support the purchase of long-term vacant properties for social housing, backed by compulsory purchase orders if needed.
● Work to improve the speed, efficiency and quality of repairs in council owned housing.
● Ensure that new homes built in Oxford are as sustainable as possible – with Passive House as standard.
● Ensure new developments in the city are prioritised for housing, and for new housing projects to be as dense as possible with effective local infrastructure and amenities – including good access to green space.
● Utilise council owned brownfield sites to build substantial amounts of affordable zero-carbon housing, in order to reverse the trend of more employment spaces than homes being built.
● Support the continuation of the ‘Housing First’ model which has proven highly effective at reducing homelessness and moving people on to long-term, sustainable accommodation.
● Ensure that no families are housed in hotels for Temporary Accommodation provision which is extremely expensive for the council and inappropriate for residents with children, while significantly reducing the use of hotels for Temporary Accommodation overall.
● Provide more funding for organisations that offer ‘safety net’ services for people in precarious housing situations.
● Improve residential moorings based on the Collaborative Housing ‘Community Led Moorings’ report.
● Lobby central government to increase the powers the city council has to stop the expansion of short term lets which put increased pressure on housing in the city.
● Lobby central government to extend the powers to introduce a tourist tax – currently held by metropolitan mayors – to councils, in order to bring in huge amounts of revenue to the council to deliver better services for Oxford.
● Strengthen council approaches to private housing, with a focus on promoting better conditions for tenants, ensuring homes are maintained and well-insulated and taking stronger action against rogue landlords.
Oxford is a city that is built on its diversity. Around a third of residents are born outside of the UK. We have a proud track record of welcoming refugees. A plethora of faith non-faith groups live side by side.
The Green Party is incredibly proud of this diversity – and we are committed to deepening it. At a time when those on the far-right of politics are seeking to spread hate and division, it has never been more important to build communities rooted in care, solidarity and belonging.
A Green Party run city council would:
● Support key events that celebrate Oxford’s diversity including Oxford Pride and the Cowley Road Carnival, as well as faith-based events such as the Broad Street Menorah Lighting and community Iftars during Ramadan. Celebrate and actively work on Oxford’s status as a City of Sanctuary, ensuring the city council does more to welcome refugees.
● Ensure Oxford’s community centres are responsive to the needs of the community groups that rely on them and the residents that use them.
● Lobby national government to establish a fairer and more humane asylum system – including by introducing safe routes to claim asylum, allowing asylum seekers to work while their claims are processed and housing asylum seekers in the community rather than in hotels.
● Continue to call for Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre to be closed down and for the government to end its use of detention centres.
● Ensure that trans and non-binary people are protected in the provision of council services in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling on the Equality Act.
● Take rapid action to address the city council’s substantial pay gaps – in gender, ethnicity and disability – and begin monitoring and addressing the LGBT pay gap.
● Adopt the principles of feminist urban planning, to ensure that our city is built around women’s safety and empowerment.
● Build towards a city that works for people of all ages – by working towards the principles of Age Friendly Communities and ensuring that families and children have access to safe areas to play.
● Invest in infrastructure for walking and wheeling so that Oxford becomes a truly accessible city to get around.
● Seek to ensure that amenities are well distributed across the city so that all residents have basic services within a short walk or cycle ride.
● Retain Oxford’s place as a city with a deep internationalist outlook, maintaining good relations with our twin towns and playing what role we can in standing up for human rights across the globe. This includes through tightening up city council policies on procurement and investment to ensure that council money isn’t going into violations of human rights.
● Enhance the council’s approach to community wealth building, by increasing the number of local organisations the council contracts – particularly cooperatives and unionised workplaces.
● Provide funding and support to enable local and district centres to flourish with good local facilities – including through backing community-led initiatives like Magdalen Road Village.
● Ensure Oxford’s leisure services are accessible to the widest range of people to help all of Oxford’s residents live healthier, happier lives and reduce health inequalities.
● Introduce dedicated city council officers within communities for social prescribing so that residents can get the support they need.
● Ensure that council communications are accessible to all residents – including through broadening the number of languages communications are available in and avoiding using inaccessible language.
● Provide additional funding for community groups which are the heart of our communities.
● Support the establishment of a new community space for the African Caribbean community.
● Take a health-led approach to drug addiction and use in order to reduce the impact on local communities, including through providing more resource to support services and seeking to establish a drug consumption room in the city.
● Strengthen the council’s support for local live music venues, arts and cultural spaces, and pubs.
● Establish a fund for the development of new ‘pocket parks’ in the city, small areas of outdoor space that improve the public realm.
● Work to introduce a playground in Oxford City Centre
Massive increases in energy prices, food costs and rents has left many unable to make ends meet. The causes of the cost of living crisis are many and varied. But Oxford City Council could be doing more to support those in need.
In recent years, Green Party councillors have played a key role in addressing the cost of living crisis in Oxford. This will continue to be a central priority for the Green Party in the coming years.
A Green Party run city council would:
● Increase the Oxford Living Wage to match that of London, giving thousands of workers across our city a substantial pay rise. We would also extend the Oxford Living Wage so that it applies not only to ordinary workers but also to apprentices.
● Introduce ‘Living Wage Zones’ – a pioneering planning policy which would see new developments which are designated for employment require any future occupants be required to pay at least the Oxford Living Wage.
● Push for Oxfordshire County Council to also sign up to become an Oxford Living Wage employer.
● Stop increases to the concessionary rate on paid-for council services, such as garden waste and bulky waste collection, so that residents on low incomes aren’t facing higher costs.
● Explore new poverty alleviation schemes and work to improve those already in place, such as the Green Party initiated policy of introducing free period products in community centres.
● Utilise council assets to provide residents with warm spaces in the winter and cool spaces in the summer.
● Encourage local production of healthy and affordable food through, for example, allotments and community orchards.
● Review the city council’s food strategy and provide more support to organisations in Oxford that work to provide food to those most in need – such as Oxford Mutual Aid, food banks, food cooperatives and food larders.
● Work with health partners and the county council to increase access to affordable health and social care and improve support for carers.
● Oppose the privatisation of public services which leads to higher costs and worse services for residents.
● Lobby national government to take utilities into public ownership – including Thames Water – in order to deliver a better public service and stop our money leaking out into the pockets of shareholders.
● Work to reduce household energy costs through supporting new local Low Carbon Hubs, ramping up the retrofitting of council housing and exploring district heating projects.
The climate emergency isn’t a distant problem. With flooding and heatwaves now a common occurrence in our city it is now on our doorstep. Alongside this, the UK is now one of the most nature-depleted countries on earth.
Oxford has a small but important part to play in addressing these crises. Under pressure from the Green Party, the city council has committed to go ‘net zero’ by 2030. But progress could be much quicker and we need to do more to defend nature in our city, as well as giving more people better access to green and outdoor spaces. And while transport is primarily a county council responsibility, the city council is a key stakeholder and plays a leading role in delivering some transport projects, and thus should be working to make the system more sustainable.
A Green Party run city council would:
● Utilise the city council’s investments to put money directly into renewable energy – with a preference for community owned energy schemes.
● Increase the amount of ‘biodiversity net-gain’ developers are required to deliver when building to 20%, with stricter requirements for this to be undertaken locally.
● Move towards eliminating the use of glyphosate by the council.
● Subject the city council’s carbon reduction to independent verification to improve transparency and credibility.
● Fund improvements to our parks, including upgrading play equipment, outdoor gyms and other park infrastructure.
● Improve the availability of recycling points across the city for items not covered by regular curbside collections.
● Work to develop a more circular economy in Oxford, including by supporting the repair sector in the city.
● Commit to ‘Vision Zero’ – the eradication of deaths and serious injuries on our roads; making Oxford a safer, healthier place
● Work to increase electric shuttles to deliver goods in the city and reduce the number of HGVs within Oxford.
● Lobby Oxfordshire County Council to improve bus services within the city and make them more affordable, including through using the powers now given to it by the Bus Services Act – exploring establishing a municipal bus company or bringing the private bus operators under public control (commonly known as franchising).
● Support the continuation of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods which have had a demonstrably positive impact on pollution, traffic levels and road safety.
● Support the temporary congestion charge and the long-term plan for traffic filters in order to reduce congestion in the city, speed up buses and enable people to travel more sustainably.
● Provide support for car-sharing schemes, peer-to-peer lending schemes; and installation of more electric chargers, including in new developments.
● Maintain Oxford City Council’s support for the Cowley Branch Line.
● Increase the amount of secure bike parking in the city – including in new housing developments.
● Increase the number of trees planted across Oxford – both on streets and in our parks and green spaces.
● Explore solutions through which we can keep tourist coaches out of the city in order to move towards more sustainable tourism within Oxford.
● Introduce more bike parking on streets across the city, and establish a proper parking system for hire bikes and e-scooters.
● Expedite the roll-out of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, including the Gul-E scheme.
Meet Oxford Green Party’s 2026 candidates below.
You can check which ward you are in here, if you are unsure who your candidate is.
Tariq Saeed (any pronouns) is a born-and-raised ‘Bartoner’ who grew up in Barton before studying at the University of Oxford, which they graduated from in 2025 — as a student activist he campaigned for ethnic minority, LGBTQ+, and working-class students.
Tariq is passionate about addressing the challenges facing the environment and understands that our solutions must also benefit everyday working people – he believes “only a party not funded by billionaires and fossil fuel giants can reliably stand up for people AND the planet.”
Indigo Haynes (she/her) is a modern languages student in her final year at Oxford University, with plans to start a teacher training course in Oxford after graduating.
She’s been involved with local politics since she was a teenager, having run campaigns in her hometown to save a local hospital from shutdown, get better bus routes with cheaper fares, and led climate change protests and ‘Fridays For Future’ school walk-outs.
She was also a member of Youth Parliament, and secretary of her local Labour Party; since Starmer’s election as Prime Minister, she left the party, feeling betrayed by his government’s actions. Now in Oxford, her focus is on the same issues she’s always fought for: preserving local services, improving public transport, and working to fix the climate crisis.
We also have candidates standing for Blackbird Leys Parish Council.
Sushila Dhall has lived in Jericho and Carfax for over 40 years and during this time has represented local residents on both the County and City Councils, working for equality, human rights and justice.
She works for a charity with refugees and asylum seekers and champions the diversity that makes Oxford such a great city. She is a trade union member and local transport activist, and chair of Oxford Pedestrian’s association. Sushila says, ‘Now is the time to stand up for humanity and our beautiful planet.’
Ines Wilhelm (she/her) has lived in Oxford for 15 years. Her love for the city and its people inspired her to build a life here and to join local grassroots initiatives, from liveability, road safety and cycling groups to community volunteering. Growing up with a single mother who worked two nursing jobs, she learned the importance of mutual support and the realities of making ends meet that many Oxford families face.
Ines believes deeply in Oxford’s potential to become a fairer, more welcoming, and greener city. With more Green Party councillors in the city than ever, she is keen to address the stark inequalities in our city, and to champion the protection and enhancement of Oxford’s green spaces, biodiversity, and climate resilience.
Edward Mundy has been an Oxford City Councillor since 2021, then standing for the Labour Party. He was an officer in the Labour Group, leader of the Community Independents, and spent 4 years chairing the General Purposes Licensing Committee.
Leaving Labour in late 2023, in response to their leadership failing to condemn the catastrophic IDF assault on Gazan civilians, Edward joined the Green Party at the beginning of this year. This is a year of huge potential for our party both locally and nationally, as was shown in Gorton & Denton.
Edward has a trade unionist background, having represented postal workers across Oxfordshire during one of the most bitter postal strikes in decades. He now helps local people in OX4 as an adviser, so he is acutely aware of the issues that are impacting families in Cowley during the cost of living crisis.
Andrea Schiavi (he/him) moved to Oxford in 2010 and has called it home ever since, inspired by its diverse communities.
Andrea is standing for council to champion fairness and equality, and to ensure local decisions improve access to housing, services and opportunity for everyone.
A scientist by training, Andrea now works in tech and volunteers with a local bike charity. He is committed to strong local action on the climate crisis, from sustainable transport to greener neighbourhoods, putting people at the centre of Oxford’s future
Rosie (she/her) has lived in Oxford for almost 10 years and was first elected as a Councillor in 2022.
She first moved to the city to work for Oxfam where she worked on campaigns to end British arms sales to Saudia Arabia being used in Yemen, against corporate tax evasion, and for refugee family reunion. She now works for a national charity, supporting radical campaigns for climate and migrant justice.
Rosie has a background in the trade union movement and has supported university staff in campaigns for fairer pensions, worked alongside public sector unions in the anti-austerity movement and supported gig economy workers to fight for fair pay and conditions. She also recently completed a PhD researching the impacts of campaigns to improve pay and conditions in the global electronics industry.
Neil Doig is a Geography teacher in Oxford, a sustainability lead, and the founder of Money Tipps, an education platform helping people build financial confidence. He is also the author of two books that make complex ideas simple and practical for everyday life.
Working across Oxford’s schools and communities, Neil has seen first-hand the challenges people face, from the cost of living to the impact of climate change. With experience in finance, energy, and education, he brings a practical, level-headed approach focused on real results.
Neil is standing for the Green Party to deliver cleaner air, safer cycling and walking routes, more affordable housing, and a stronger local economy, offering trusted, responsible leadership that puts people first.
Sam (he/him) works as an energy advisor helping residents try to cope with predatory energy firms and access the technology that can help reduce them.
He has been a committed housing activist serving as treasurer of ACORN Oxford, campaigning to prevent unjust evictions and hold bad landlords to account. He volunteers with Oxford Mutual Aid and various local groups including Oxford Synagogue and Community Land Trust.
In these roles see the inequality and vulnerability plaguing this city, driven by deep structural causes. Sam says: “A Green led administration is a chance to turn the power of Oxford City council against the causes of inequality, and make it a better place for us all.”
Hannah (she/her) is the head of a not-for-profit business network supporting the growth of climate tech startups across Oxfordshire and the South East. Before this, she worked for a sustainability charity, working with key stakeholders across Oxfordshire to accelerate the transition to a greener, smarter, more equitable county.
She is a tireless advocate for climate activism and action, having won the Oxfordshire Climate Action Champion award in 2024. She also co-founded the county-wide campaign Switch Up Your Lunch, encouraging uptake of healthier, greener food choices.Hannah has lived and/or worked in the Hinksey park area for over four years, and so is familiar with the local issues it faces – she’s currently involved in Grandpont’s anti-fascism community group.
Hannah says, “The time is now for bold, community-centred action, making a better place for people and planet.”
Alfie Davis (they/them) is the co-director of Oxford’s largest food bank, and former student activist and campaigner, having graduated with a BA in Geography from St Anne’s college in 2024. They currently live in Jericho, and joined the Green Party in 2025.
As a student, they campaigned for working class students, accessible/affordable accommodation and housing, as well as Palestinian and LGBTQ+ liberation – co-founding Oxford Trans Pride in 2023 and was awarded LGBTQ+ Undergrad of the Year in 2024.
“The widespread poverty in Oxford that I witness every day through my work, and the lack of substantial action being taken by governments angers me – and is what motivates me to stand” says Alfie.
Tamsin Blaxter (she/her) is a researcher studying food systems sustainability. Her work focuses on how we can have better conversations about contentious food issues, and the values, assumptions and habits that drive polarisation in our society.
She has lived in Littlemore for four years, during which time she has been a Girlguiding leader and volunteered with the Greens.
Before this she spent ten years living in Cambridge where she had a long history of queer and trans activism, including setting up a long-running series of events for LGBTQ+ History Month, and being part of the committee that created and ran the first ever Cambridge Pride.
She is quickly developing roots here, and cares deeply about making our community safe, green, and welcoming.
James Thorniley is a local campaigner, parent and school governor who has lived with his young family in Lye Valley ward for eight years. He is a software engineer for an independent online radio and music platform.
James Thorniley said: “The Labour Party has let down local people in Lye Valley. I’m committed to representing all residents here, and making Oxford fairer, greener and more equal. As the second largest party on Oxford City Council, Greens are best placed to hold the Labour council to account.”
Kate Robinson has lived in the Marston area for over 20 years and has been in the Green Party for over 15 years. She was elected in 2024, following the good work of Marston’s first Green Cllr, Alistair Morris. Kate is Co-founder of Marston Community Growing, a member of Low Carbon Marston, Marston Eco Group and a Governor at St Michael’s Primary School.
Kate is currently a public librarian, working at Headington Library, and used to be a full-time teacher in secondary schools. She is passionate about community and environmental action, empowerment and education – and works hard to represent all residents and make their voices heard.
David Newman lives in Greater Leys, where he is a Blackbird Leys parish councillor and chair of the group preparing a neighbourhood plan.
He is keen to see the Leys area develop, and passionate about protecting our great green spaces and fighting the cost of living crisis by reducing energy costs.
He is also one of 7 candidates standing for Blackbird Leys Parish Council.
Lois Muddiman has lived in Osney and St Thomas for over 30 years and was elected as its first Green Party City Councillor in 2022. She was Chair of West Oxford Community Association for ten years and co-founder of Low Carbon West Oxford, Hogacre Common and West Oxford Community Renewables.
She has previously worked in education and community development and is now a practicing artist. As a City Councillor, Lois is Deputy Leader of the Oxford Green Group, Chair of the General Purpose Licensing Committee and works hard to support local residents.
Stephen Hurt (he/him) has lived and worked in Oxford for over two decades. He strongly believes that Oxford is an open and welcoming city, but it is also facing increasing inequality – making it clear that we need to put people and the planet at the centre of our politics, and that only by electing more Greens that this will be possible.
Stephen teaches Politics and International Relations at Oxford Brookes University and is an active member of his trade union branch and the local Trades Council. Outside of work he volunteers as a youth cricket coach at a local club.
Luke (he/him) has lived in Oxford for most of his life, and in Rose Hill for the last ten years. He has spent 15 years as a secondary school Physics teacher, and is currently retraining as a psychotherapist. He has previously stood as a City Council Candidate for a different party, but has since joined the Green Party.
He was a member of the Oxford City Council’s Inclusive Transport & Movement Focus Group, and has advocated on behalf of other disabled people to ensure transport in Oxford remains accessible to everyone. He enjoys cycling, and is passionate about improving bicycle infrastructure in Oxford.
Ahalya Bala (she/her) is a social sciences lecturer, committed to the principles of social and environmental justice. She has been working and living in Oxford for 6 years. She strives to foster connections between the university and the wider community, having organised events building solidarity with Palestine, challenging state crimes, and celebrating African heritage through music and dance.
Ahalya has been a long-term member of a community-owned housing cooperative and a renters union in Oxford. She is a committee member of a local community choir and she loves engaging in community activities – you can regularly find her singing, dancing, and practising meditation and yoga in the community.
Ahalya is an active trade union member and believes in supporting and protecting people across the public sector. Like so many others, Ahalya has found hope in the Green Party and wants to work with local Green Party councillors to make Oxford a safe, clean and welcoming home for all who live here.
Emily has lived in St. Mary’s for more than 10 years and was first elected a Green Party Councillor in 2022. She was previously a governor of SSMJ school in the ward, and is also a County Councillor as well as the Active Travel Champion for Oxfordshire County Council.
Emily is a Swedish/English dual national with extensive European business experience, having led eBay’s fashion & home division, consulted for a number of leading companies, and run her own start-up. She is particularly passionate about supporting local businesses and community initiatives, improving buses and making streets safer for walking and cycling.
James Hewett (he/him) has called Oxford home since 1990 and has lived in many of the neighbourhoods that make this city so uniquely diverse. For more than 25 years he has worked as a social worker, supporting vulnerable children and their families. He has also volunteered as a grassroots football coach for the past decade. With three teenagers attending local schools, James feels strongly connected to the city and invested in protecting and improving services for all.
A member of the Green Party of England and Wales since 2000, James believes it offers a credible alternative to politics as usual. His priorities include protecting Oxford’s green spaces, restoring clean waterways, and tackling road congestion in ways that work for drivers, cyclists and public transport users alike.
Heather Stallard (she/her) has lived in Littlemore for 3 years. She works in professional services at the University of Oxford, managing communications and events for environmental research. She used to work in the homelessness sector and is particularly passionate and aggravated about the Oxford housing crisis.
After many years of losing faith in the Labour Party, she left to join the Green Party. Heather believes in policies that take care of the least well off, and believes we can do that at the same time as taking care of our planet for animals, nature and future generations.
Zelalemawee (he/him) is running for Walton Manor because he wants to ensure, by implementing the Green manifesto, that not only does Walton Manor remain a beautiful place to live but becomes more affordable too.
Zelalemawee is currently doing a PhD in antibiotic resistance research at the University of Oxford. He pursued this work because of a long-term motivation to help others that is derived from a gratitude for the selfless care of his mother and an awareness of the current unmet needs of people in this country and abroad.
By working to improve those inadequate conditions, it allows him to do as Sylvia Pankhurst wrote: ‘It came to me as a challenge: seek to obtain for others the care you had.’
For the exact same reason, he wants to work just as hard for his local area, Walton Manor.
Cristina Palamini (she/they) is standing as a Green Party candidate because she believes Oxford has the talent and resources to be a greener, fairer city — and that what’s needed now is the political will to act.
She has lived in Oxford for five years. An immigrant to the UK, she was drawn by the city’s openness and is committed to keeping Oxford a place where everyone can belong.
She has been active as an activist on climate action and social justice. She believes Oxford needs bold leadership on the climate emergency, housing and the cost of living.
She is Chief Product Officer at an education technology start-up widening access to learning.
We also have candidates standing for Blackbird Leys Parish Council.