I’m Mark Beer, and I’m running as an Independent candidate for Summertown and Walton Manor - because we need a voice that represents people, not party lines. My career in business has taught me how to lead, cut waste, and deliver real results. Now I’m ready to use that experience to serve the community that’s always been home. Here’s my plan to bring accountability, transparency, and action back to Oxfordshire.

Oxford has long been a city that knows how to move. From John Fell, a pioneer and the Dean of Christ Church who established our first train link to London in the 1600s, to Frank Johnson’s establishment of the Oxford Bus Company in 1881, and Sir Alec Issigonis, the Oxford graduate who designed the iconic Mini.

30 – 40 percent. That is the average local election turnout in the UK. I get it. Local elections are not flashy. They require people to get into hyper-localised issues, often sprinkled with competitive party politics.

The Oxfordshire County Council plans to remove vital parking on Banbury Road which will reduce access to local businesses and services. I strongly encourage all local residents to respond to the Oxfordshire County Council’s survey ahead of the 23 March deadline.

Chatting to my friend Jeremy Mogford – a local business owner and resident – I realised a disheartening truth: Oxford’s well-being is under threat from the very people we elected to protect it.

Oxfordshire County Council’s latest urban planning scheme, billed to “reclaim the streets” of North Oxford, is just the latest in a series of well-intentioned policy proposals that risk alienating the very people they are meant to support.

LTNs should be part of a broader transport strategy. One that fully considers the impact on surrounding areas at all levels. This involves coordinating with neighbouring councils to mitigate potential negative effects, ensuring a cohesive approach to traffic management.

The County Council, led by a stagnant coalition, is failing our community with misguided policies, wasteful spending and decisions that harm local businesses.

Let’s keep Oxfordshire moving - in the right direction! Businesses are struggling, and council policies are making things worse. Read why I’m standing for County Council and why Oxford’s own Tom Nicolson is backing my campaign.

Announcing my candidacy as an Independent to represent the people of Summertown and Walton Manor in the May 1 Oxfordshire County Council Election.