Unitary Council Elections 2027

The Liberal Democrats have been growing and leading councils across Oxfordshire since 2019, and have been holding Labour to account in Oxford City. We now have a chance to consolidate our position and ensure that our residents continue to have councillors that value community, equality, and the environment for the coming years.

In May 2027 there will be elections to the brand new unitary council(s) in our area. The government will decide whether we will have one, two, or three unitaries councils covering Oxfordshire, perhaps West Berkshire.

Whatever shape the new unitary councils take, we want to make sure we have a strong, effective set of Liberal Democrats identified and ready to stand for election to the new council in your area. 

Could you be the next community champion for your area, shaping your community and putting Liberal Democrat values and policies into action? 

If you are interested in becoming a Lib Dem unitary council candidate please click here to complete the application form. To make sure we have people approved to stand and ready to be matched to seats once the government announces the new council boundaries, we need as many people as possible to apply before 16th July. 

Come and meet us on 2nd July to find out more…

We are holding an online information session for Liberal Democrat Party members and supporters at 8pm on Thursday 2nd July.

This is a chance for supporters and party members interested in taking an active role in the campaign, and possibly being a candidate, to hear from some current Lib Dem Councillors about their experiences and ask questions about how the application process and being a councillor works.

Please let us know if you would like to attend here so we can send you the Zoom link.

 Becoming a candidate

There are two stages to the process of becoming a candidate:

1. Approval

The approval process determines whether someone is suitable to be a Lib Dem candidate anywhere in the constituency. No one is at this stage picked to stand in a particular ward or division. The approval process consists of filling in the online application form and a half hour interview. 

Anyone wanting to be a candidate – including all sitting councillors – undertake the approval process. If you have any questions about the approval process or would like some help completing the application, you are more than welcome to contact me for a chat.

 2. Selection
Anyone who has been ‘approved’ to be a Lib Dem candidate may then put themselves forward to be a candidate in a specific ward or division. This includes sitting councillors who will need to apply to be selected in the same manner as any other prospective candidate. 

Selection is carried out by the local constituency parties. Once approved, the Chair of the relevant local constituency party will be given your details and work with you to identify a suitable division for you to stand for. Where there is more than one person interested in standing in a particular division, there will be an election for local members to choose who they wish to be the candidate.

It is important to us that our activists and candidates reflect our communities, so we are keen to encourage people from all backgrounds, ages, and situations to consider standing for election. If you have any questions about being a councillor or the approval or selection process, please do get in touch via organiser@oxonlibdems.uk to arrange an informal chat.