THE leader of Oxford City Council has attacked the government over Oxfam's planned redundancies.

Susan Brown said leaders in Westminster had not done enough to help businesses or charities through the coronavirus crisis.

Oxfam, which employs hundreds at its Cowley headquarters, is looking at cutting more than 200 jobs across the country after taking a massive financial hit during lockdown.

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Ms Brown said: "I am concerned about the potential impact of these plans in our city, where Oxfam was founded and is still headquartered.

"I hope that Oxfam will work with its staff and unions to protect jobs and avoid compulsory redundancies as far as possible.

Oxford Mail:

"It is clearly not sustainable to be losing more than £5m a month in income from fundraising activity and the closure of charity shops due to the coronavirus crisis.

"We in local government also understand the financial pressures caused by the drying up of normal revenue streams only too well.

"While government financial support during the pandemic has been welcome, it has been piecemeal, patchy and not enough to mitigate the impact of lost income and increased costs.

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"I would like the government to take a more holistic approach to the impact of coronavirus on charities, businesses and the public sector in order to protect jobs and the economy as lockdown starts to ease.

"As a longstanding supporter of Oxfam and the important work it does, I hope that they are able to weather this storm and work with their employees to continue their vital role around the world."