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Best and worst meeting attendance revealed for Oxford city council

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The Oxford city councillors with the best and worst meeting attendance have been revealed.

The following data shows the percentage of meetings where a councillor has been listed as present, against how many meetings they were expected to attend from May 5, 2022 (when those up for re-election were most recently elected) to April 28, 2026.

The data is reflective of the full term for those whose seats are up for re-election.

Some councillors, who are not up for re-election, may have only been serving since 2024.

On May 7, Oxford will go to the polls in local elections with half the seats on the city council up for grabs.

The data shows a trend towards councillors who are up for re-election this year, but will not be standing, as having the lowest attendance in recent months.

Leader of the city council, Susan Brown, explained those who are not standing again may be doing so due to responsibilities, which had kept them from attending meetings.

She suggested this was the reason they were stepping away rather than the other way around.

She added that many on the city council also have full-time jobs.

No councillors reached 100 per cent attendance for their full term, although some have had full attendance for the last year.

One of those was Cllr Mike Rowley, who said he was fortunate to have avoided clashes this year.

He said: “In the past I’ve sometimes given my apologies to a town hall meeting in order to go to one in Barton or Sandhills, because the job involves doing both, and staying in touch with the people we represent is vital.

“Also, I’m lucky enough to work quite flexibly and not to have children or elderly/disabled family to look after.

“I believe we gain rather than lose from having councillors with caring responsibilities, because even if they can’t attend every meeting, their experience makes us more representative of Oxford’s people, and thus makes our decisions better.”

Cllr Dr Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini also had 100 per cent in the last year, and she said she was “proud” of that record, but noted that this was in part due to having “a supportive partner, ability to pay for childcare and an NHS job” which she said gave her time off when she needed it.

She called for council reform to make meetings more accessible and “less archaic”.

Dr Djafari-Marbini said: “The council is for the residents and not for the councillors and we need changes to truly hear our residents in a more meaningful way.”

The data does not account for virtual attendance.

Councillor Andrew Gant for Cutteslowe & Sunnymead (Liberal Democrat) – 56 per cent

Councillor Amar Latif for Cowley (Oxford Independent Group) – 65 per cent

Councillor Jemima Hunt for St Clement’s (Labour) – 69 per cent

Councillor Sajjad Malik for Cowley (Real Independents) – 69 per cent

Councillor Anne Stares for Littlemore (Independent Oxford Alliance) – 70 per cent

Councillor Jo Sandelson for Wolvercote (Liberal Democrat) – 70 per cent

Councillor Asima Qayyum for Barton & Sandhills (Labour) – 71 per cent

Councillor Theodore Jupp for Summertown (Liberal Democrat) – 72 per cent

Councillor Ed Turner for Rose Hill & Iffley (Labour) – 73 per cent

Councillor Dr Dianne Regisford for Holywell (Green) – 73 per cent

Councillor Mohammed Altaf-Khan for Headington (Liberal Democrat) – 75 per cent

Councillor Mary Clarkson for Marston (Labour) – 78 per cent

Councillor Dr Max Morris for Donnington (Green) – 78 per cent

Councillor Mike Rowley for Barton & Sandhills (Labour) – 78 per cent

Councillor Dr Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini for Northfield Brook (Independent)– 79 per cent

Councillor Tiago Corais for Littlemore (Labour) – 79 per cent

Councillor Naomi Waite for Hinksey Park (Labour) – 79 per cent

Councillor Mohammed Azad for Temple Cowley (Real Independents) – 80 per cent

Councillor Nigel Chapman for Headington Hill & Northway (Labour) – 83 per cent

Councillor Mark Lygo for Churchill (Labour) – 83 per cent

Councillor Roz Smith for Quarry & Risinghurst (Liberal Democrat) – 85 per cent

Councillor Judith Harley for Lye Valley (Independent Oxford Alliance) – 86 per cent

Councillor James Taylor for Headington Hill & Northway (Labour) – 86 per cent

Councillor Ian Yeatman for Cowley (Independent Oxford Alliance) – 86 per cent

Councillor Louise Upton for Walton Manor (Labour) – 87 per cent

Councillor Lizzy Diggins for Carfax & Jericho (Labour) – 87 per cent

Councillor Laurence Fouweather for Cutteslowe & Sunnymead (Liberal Democrat) – 88 per cent

Councillor Susanna Pressel for Osney & St Thomas (Labour)– 88 per cent

Councillor Chewe Munkonge for Quarry & Risinghurst (Labour) – 88 per cent

Councillor Linda Smith for Blackbird Leys (Labour)– 89 per cent

Councillor Ajaz Rehman for Lye Valley (Oxford Independent Group) – 89 per cent

Councillor Alex Hollingsworth for Carfax & Jericho (Labour) – 90 per cent

Councillor Stephen Goddard for Wolvercote (Liberal Democrat) – 90 per cent

Councillor Edward Mundy for Holywell (Green) – 90 per cent

Councillor Christopher Smowton for Headington (Liberal Democrat) – 90 per cent

Councillor Emily Kerr for St Mary’s (Green) – 91 per cent

Councillor Lubna Arshad for Blackbird Leys (Labour) – 92 per cent

Councillor Alex Powell for St Clement’s (Green) – 93 per cent

Councillor James Fry for Walton Manor (Labour) – 93 per cent

Councillor Rosie Rawle for Donnington (Green) – 93 per cent

Councillor Kate Robinson for Marston (Green) – 94 per cent

Councillor Lois Muddiman for Osney & St Thomas (Green) – 94 per cent

Councillor Chris Jarvis for St Mary’s (Green) – 95 per cent

Councillor Katherine Miles for Summertown (Liberal Democrat) – 95 per cent

Councillor Susan Brown for Churchill (Labour) – 95 per cent

Councillor Anna Railton for Hinkey Park (Labour) – 96 per cent

Councillor David Henwood for Rose Hill & Iffley (Oxford Alliance) – 97 per cent

Councillor Simon Ottino for Northfield Brook (Labour) – 97 per cent.

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