The political make-up of Cherwell District Council will be changed after the elections on May 2.

The council's two Cherwell Independent and one Independent Socialist councillors are not seeking re-election, leaving the way open for their seats to be captured by the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats or Labour.

About seven years ago three Liberal Democrats and one Conservative split from their political groups and called themselves Cherwell Independents.

More recently, a former Labour group leader, Tony Humphries, (Banbury, Ruscote) became an Independent Socialist. But Cllr Humphries and his wife, Wendy, who was also a Labour district and county councillor, have moved to Swansea.

The four Cherwell Independents were reduced to two when Ray Gasson (Hook Norton) returned to the Tories and Joe Curry, resigned from his Heyford ward and the council.

Now the two remaining Independents, Margaret Hodge (Steeple Aston) and Susan Ganter (Yarnton) are not standing again.

Cllr Hodge and her husband Richard are moving from their home in North Aston to live on the Isle of Man.

She said: "I have been a councillor for eight years. After about 18 months some of us decided we had had enough of party politicking and became Independents.

"A lot of people have since become more disillusioned with local government because of the new system imposed on us by the Government. It is much more an officer driven council now and that cannot be good for local democracy."

Her sentiments were echoed byCllr Ganter, who said: "I do not feel councillors are getting anywhere under the new system."