Elections 2000: West Oxfordshire

Labour were almost wiped out, losing five seats and being left with just two councillors out of 49 in the council chamber. The Liberal Democrats were pleased to hold their position.

The new composition of the council is 26 Tories, 13 Lib Dems, eight Independents and two Labour.

Barry Norton, Tory group leader, was resoundingly re-elected in his own ward at North Leigh. He said: "Our campaign was based on the fact that Labour Government policies are really hurting rural districts like this.

"Plus, the Shaun Woodward factor has been an issue on the doorsteps. Clearly, the public do not like what he has done and we have benefited through the ballot box." Mr Woodward, elected in 1997 as Tory MP for Witney, defected to Labour just before Christmas and has refused to call a by-election.

Duncan Enright, a Labour spokesman who came bottom of the poll in Woodstock, said: "We are in the mid-term of a Labour Government and it is difficult to motivate our people to get out and vote."

Although Mr Enright blamed a low turnout, percentages across the wards were not too different from the last district council elections.

Liberal Democrat spokesman Julian Cooper said: "We have basically held to where we were and we are happy with that."

The results saw one of the council's longest-serving councillors, Tom Smith, defeated by Tory Warwick Robinson at Minster Lovell.

Labour also lost out in one of its traditional strongholds at Chipping Norton, where Tory candidate Michael Howes claimed a majority of more than 300.

WEST OXFORDSHIRE RESULTS

CARTERTON NORTH

John Rowe (Lab): 318

Keith Stone (Con): 819

Majority: 501

Con gain

Turnout: 24.2%

CARTERTON SOUTH

Peter Madden (Lib Dem): 327

William Tumbridge (Lab): 60

*Harry Watts (Con): 505

Majority: 178

Con hold

Turnout: 29.3%

CHARLBURY

Alison Bettle (Lab): 200

Glena Chadwick (Lib Dem): 528

Nick Potter (Ind): 294

Jacqueline Windsor-Lewis (Con): 209

Majority: 234

Lib Dem gain

Turnout: 53.1%

CHIPPING NORTON

Derek Brown (Lib Dem): 156

Georgina Burrows (Lab): 546

Michael Howes (Con): 850

Majority: 304

Con gain

Turnout: 34.1%

EYNSHAM

Peter Green (Con): 272

Michael Shelton (Lab): 150

*Margaret Stevens (Lib Dem): 603

Mark Stevenson (Green): 69

Majority: 331

Lib Dem hold

Turnout: 29.7%

FREELAND AND HANBOROUGH

Dickie Dawes (Con): 597

Gareth Epps (Lib Dem): 667

Gwilym Mason (Lab): 95

Majority: 70

Lib Dem hold

Turnout: 41.8%

KINGHAM

Matthew Deans (Lab): 61

Maria Drinkwater (Con): 429

Malcolm West (Lib Dem): 41

Majority: 368

Con hold

Turnout: 42%

MILTON-UNDER-WYCHWOOD

Frances Ashworth (Lab): 66

Keith Baker (Lib Dem): 175

Jeff Haine (Con): 474

Majority: 299

Con hold

Turnout: 45%

MINSTER LOVELL

Sheila Cuss (Lab): 56

Warwick Robinson (Con): 276

*Tom Smith (Ind): 238

Majority: 38

Con gain

Turnout: 42.6%

NORTH LEIGH

Helen Bridge (Lab): 130

*Barry Norton (Con): 536

Edward Williams (Lib Dem): 65

Majority: 406

Con hold

Turnout: 48%

ROLLRIGHT

Melanie Deans (Lab): 106

*Tony Walker (Con): 319

Majority: 213

Con gain

Turnout: 37%

STANTON HARCOURT

*John Faulkner (Ind): 411

Andrew Ross (Lab): 134

Majority: 277

Ind hold

Turnout: 42.6%

TACKLEY AND WOOTTON

Lynda Collingwood (Con): 132

*Charles Cottrell-Dormer (Ind): 340

Michael Enright (Lab): 109

Amanda Epps (Lib Dem): 76

Majority: 208

Ind hold

Turnout: 48.3%

WITNEY EAST

Ross Beadle (Lab): 252

Martin Chapman (Con): 556

Serena Martin (Lib Dem): 446

Majority: 110

Con gain

Turnout: 32.3%

WITNEY SOUTH

*Richard Kelsall (Lab): 430

Olive Minett (Lib Dem): 194

Lesley Semaine (Con): 817

Majority: 387

Con gain

Turnout: 27.3%

WITNEY WEST

Andrew Creery (Con): 518

Paul Langley (Lab): 381

June Tayler (Lib Dem): 103

Majority: 137

Con gain

Turnout: 32.4%

WOODSTOCK

*Ann Cooper (Ind): 592

Duncan Enright (Lab): 160

Sandra Rasch (Con): 268

Majority: 324

Ind hold

Turnout: 42.2%