The Parliamentary Constituency of West Oxfordshire was created in 1989 and is what is perceived to be a ‘safe’ Conservative seat. However, recent YouGov polling has the Lib Dems and Conservatives neck and neck in this constituency, with Lib Dems at 37%, Conservatives at 41% and Labour at just 13%.
With all that is happening in national politics, voters within West Oxfordshire may still be trying to make up their mind whether to go with the ‘known’ Conservative option or consider voting for an alternative political party. For many people however, it is not so much about what a political party stands for nationally, but more what that Parliamentary candidate can achieve for the area in which they live. We decided it would be good to meet the Parliamentary candidates for West Oxfordshire to get an insight into what the person behind the politician is really like.
The first person I met was Liberal Democrat candidate Charlie Maynard who was elected a councillor for Standlake, Aston and Stanton Harcourt ward in 2022 and in November 2023, became the Executive Member for Planning and Sustainable Development with WODC. Three years prior to that, he was Chair of the Witney Oxford Transport Group, leading the project to rebuild the railway line linking Carterton, Witney, Eynsham and Oxford.
It is clear as you start talking with Charlie that he is fully committed to making a difference to support the people and the area in which he lives and works. He has an incredibly positive ‘can do’ approach looking for constructive ways to find solutions rather than thinking the task is too onerous so therefore best left alone. Charlie also believes in ‘teamwork’ as by working cohesively with other councillors and politicians, whatever their political party, projects can move forward, and time is not wasted berating each other. Living in the area with his wife Sophie and their three teenage children, Charlie utterly understands many of the issues the area faces and is also keen to meet local people, whilst our canvassing, to learn face to face who most needs help.
Having overcome what could have been a life-changing accident at the age of 18 when he broke his neck in a swimming accident, Charlie went on, at just 25, to establish an Asia-focused global financial advisory firm, BDA Partners. Having built a successful business which, he was part of for 24 years, he also learned a lot about how to find solutions to problems, manage budgets effectively and deal with people at all levels including those from different cultural backgrounds. He stepped back from the business in January 2021, to focus on local politics in his desire to do more to help people, protect our environment and do his part to get our country heading in a better direction. Charlie believes we can generate strong, clean economic growth for West Oxfordshire as a whole, whilst making our society fairer for all of those who live in the area.
Like other parts of the UK, many of the towns in West Oxfordshire are sadly lacking almost any access to NHS dental treatment services. Currently, in Carterton, a town with nearly 20,000 people, there is only one full time and one part time NHS dentist, neither of whom are accepting new patients, and both have a six-month waiting list. Charlie is most concerned about the lack of NHS Dentists, and he wants also to improve Doctor’s Primary Care in the area. He feels the current government needs to fund the sector to provide key basic services to residents.
Charlie also believes that if the Primary Care Services can be better supported, enabling GPs to diagnose and treat patients at an earlier stage, supported by more social care and facilities in local areas to reduce the time patients need to stay in hospital, or indeed avoid them needing to be treated in hospital at all. Rather than asking people to travel into the various hospitals in Headington which can be difficult for many, if Witney’s Community Hospital were able to offer more services and additional mobile units were brought into the area, which is on the cards, access to treatment for many would be much easier.
The front desk at Witney Police Station in Welch Way was closed during the pandemic so if residents would like to discuss issues face-to-face with police officers, they either have to go into Oxford or Abingdon to do so. Whilst the police can be contacted by calling 101, often being able to speak to a person direct about difficult subjects is far easier and more reassuring. The Lib Debs have been successful at re-opening front desks around the country, so Charlie is campaigning to see Witney’s police station’s front desk reinstated.
As an environmental campaigner and knowing that the sewage crisis has left residents and wildlife to pay the price of the treatment plant in Witney dumping diluted raw effluent into Colwell Brook, which feeds into the Windrush, Charlie is determined to get Thames Water taken to task. He is demanding increased investment coming from the shareholders and not the customers as well as better transparency over data which Thames Water publish. Together with his colleagues they want Thames Water to upgrade both its network and treatment works before more houses are built.
Supporting local schools to find solutions to funding crisis is one of Charlie’s missions. Having met with Head Teachers from a number of schools around West Oxfordshire, Charlie has seen that whilst all are doing an impressive job in almost impossible circumstances, due to central government funding less than half of the teaching staff’s pay rises, Teaching Assistant’s hours have had to be cut by nearly 25% year on year. There is also a severe lack of SEND care for which demand has increased by 20%. With more pressure put on the teaching staff, many of whom are using their own money to support their pupils to provide facilities for them, it is clear that our current government has failed our children and potentially therefore the future of the country as a whole.
To find out more about Charlie Maynard and his plans to support the residents of West Oxfordshire visit www.oxonld.uk/charlie.
My next meeting was with the current Conversative MP for West Oxfordshire, Robert Courts, who has been proudly served the area since he was first elected in the by-election of October 2016. Not only is he working as an active MP, but Robert also served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Transport from September 2020 until September 2022. He was also Chair of the Defence Select Committee from 25 October 2023 until December 2023 when he was appointed in his current additional role as Solicitor General for England and Wales.
Born in Stockport, Robert followed in his father’s footsteps and went on to study law at the University of Sheffield before being called to the bar in London. He went on to work as a self-employed barrister for some twelve years, mainly in Oxford, where he focused primarily on personal injury and clinical negligence cases, with a trading standards prosecution specialism. Having been self-employed for a long period of time, he fully understands how difficult it can be when work and income fluctuates but household bills still have to be paid each month.
With his legal background and a keen interest in history, particularly 20th century history and current affairs, Robert decided that he wanted to play a part in developing the history of the area in which he lives with his wife Kathryn and their two young children, who both attend school locally, where they live. In 2014, Robert entered local politics when he was elected as District Councillor for The Bartons ward becoming Deputy Leader of West Oxfordshire District Council in 2016. Although as an MP, he has to spend time in London, Robert also likes to spend as much time as he can working in his own constituency where he feels it is important to meet with a wide number of people, from all walks of life, listen to their stories and ask relevant questions. His legal training has taught him how to gather pertinent information and make a succinct but appropriate case when either acting on behalf of a constituent to find a solution to a problem raised by them or meeting with a fellow government minister in London.
It is clear when you speak with Robert that he is very committed to supporting local people and local companies in West Oxfordshire. During the past eight years he has worked hard on a number of campaigns which he feels are vital to help build future economic growth for the area which in turn will help to support the people who live in his constituency.
With young children of his own, he is a firm believer that education is fundamental to building a country that is fit for the future. In addition to what children learn at school, Robert feels that parents have an important part to play in teaching their children the fundamentals of life including learning dental hygiene at an early age, to knowing how to cook healthy food and getting active in the great outdoors. When he was child, Robert also participated in amateur dramatics, and he feels that this provided him with confidence to be able to stand up in a court room and now in Parliament to address an audience.
Whilst many of Robert’s local campaigns and the progress he is making with them is covered by his regular printed newsletters circulated around his constituency, amongst those high on his priority list is supporting local small businesses around the area who not only offer local employment but also support the economy of West Oxfordshire. He regularly meets with local business leaders, taking their ideas back to Government where he has campaigned vehemently for their implementation. As many of his constituents work in farming and ARE affected by rural issues, by consulting regularly with local residents involved in agriculture, he continues to fight for ways to support this part of the community. As an environmentalist, Robert is also a founder member of the Conservative Environment Network which continues to hold Thames Water and the Environment Agency to account to introduce tough new measures to protect our rivers and clean-up pollution.
Improving transportation in West Oxfordshire is a key issue for him. As Honorary Vice President of the Cotswold Line Promotion Group, although many improvements have been made to the station at Long Hanborough, he considers that more redoubling of railway track is essential to enable more trains to carry passengers in and out of Oxford and beyond. He also wants to improve cycle and bus connections to both Charlbury and Long Hanborough Stations, facilitating a better network for commuters.
With his experience as Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Security and as Chair of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee, not only is Robert knowledgeable about our Armed Forces but he has personal links to the RAF, where his grandfather served in World War II. If he were not colour blind, Robert would have most certainly taken up a career in the RAF. Instead, he continues to champion for the RAF personnel and their families who live and work in and around RAF Brize Norton.
Robert also volunteers with Dementia UK. His beloved grandfather suffered with the condition which led Robert to learn more about how Dementia and Alzheimer’s can affect people. He now gives training to carers to help them understand more about what the world is like for people diagnosed with the condition.
When he has spare time Robert likes being outdoors, cycling, hiking, swimming and diving which has led to him to join the Marine Conservation Society. Since the age of 13, he has also learned how to play a Blues Guitar having listened and fallen in love with the music of Eric Clapton and others who featured on the Pure Blues album. Unlike his wife, Kathryn, who is a musical therapist and can read music, Robert can’t. Instead, he has learned to play by ear.
For further information about Robert Courts MP, please visit robertcourts.co.uk
Images supplied by each respective Parliamentary Candidate
