Residents of Oxfordshire have been let down, was the strongly expressed view at Wednesday’s urgent gathering of the county council, which one member described as ridiculous.

The session was convened to appoint a fresh leader, a week after the annual meeting where the 2026/27 cabinet lineup had been revealed, only to be disrupted hours later when Liz Leffman stepped down.

Tim Bearder, the new Liberal Democrat group leader, has now taken up the role of council chief, though beforehand, elected members from various political parties attacked the leadership for the unstable position the authority found itself in following numerous cabinet changes.

Ms Leffman completed a five-year tenure at the helm, steering the council since May 2021 through a partnership between the Liberal Democrats, Greens and Labour known as the Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance.

She went on to lead a majority administration after the 2025 elections, before recently presiding over a minority following several resignations over recent weeks.

Her contribution has been acknowledged, but at Wednesday’s morning gathering, members expressed frustration regarding the circumstances of her departure, with a number demanding an apology.

Liz Brighouse, leader of the Labour group, stated she had never encountered anything comparable during her three decades as a member.

She noted the timing of the resignation placed council staff in an impossible situation and left the authority in disarray.

Brighouse commented that it was utterly shocking the way democracy had been disregarded.

She labelled the circumstances ridiculous, prompting amusement from Gareth Epps, the newly appointed transport chief from the Liberal Democrats.

Liam Walker, leader of the Conservative group, remarked that the scenario showed a flagrant lack of consideration for fellow elected members, council tax contributors and the council itself.

He stated that members had assembled not because the county required it, but due to internal turmoil and poor management by the Liberal Democrats.

He observed that members were abandoning the party rapidly.

Emma Garnett, representing the Greens, is seeking a review to understand how this situation unfolded.

She expressed gratitude to Ms Leffman for her guidance but challenged the short notice of the gathering, noting one of their colleagues was currently receiving cancer treatment yet had been required to travel from Banbury to participate in the democratic process.

Ms Leffman responded that stepping down was entirely her own decision.

She stated she had reached this conclusion some time ago as she would not be contesting the 2027 elections.

Ms Leffman also turned the tables on those condemning the timing of her departure, noting it was somewhat amusing to hear both the Conservatives and Labour berating the administration over managing its leadership transition.

Looking back on her period in charge, she observed she had experienced an exceptionally eventful five years, learning far more about the county than anticipated, while also witnessing some extraordinary developments since taking office in 2021.