The County Council of Oxfordshire met on Wednesday 20 May 2026 to elect a Leader of the Council. Councillor Tim Bearder was elected as the Leader of the Council, following the resignation of Councillor Liz Leffman. Councillor Bearder subsequently announced his Cabinet Members and portfolios.

Election of the Leader of the Council

Councillor Tim Bearder was elected as the Leader of Oxfordshire County Council. This extraordinary meeting was called following the resignation of Councillor Liz Leffman as Leader on 12 May 2026. The election followed the procedure outlined in Council Procedure Rule 17.8, which details the voting process for appointments.

Councillor Bearder was nominated by Councillor Leffman and seconded by Councillor Neil Fawcett. Councillor Liam Walker was nominated by Councillor Kieron Mallon and seconded by Councillor Ian Snowdon. Councillor Liz Brighouse OBE was nominated by Councillor Susanna Pressel and seconded by Councillor Glynis Phillips.

In an electronic vote, Councillor Bearder received 30 votes, Councillor Walker received 12 votes, and Councillor Brighouse received 10 votes. Councillor Bearder, having secured a majority of the 52 votes cast, was declared the elected Leader of the Council. Councillors Walker and Brighouse will continue as Leaders of the Opposition groups.

Following his election, Councillor Bearder thanked the Council and announced his Cabinet Members and their respective portfolios:

• Councillor Neil Fawcett: Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Resources
• Councillor Sean Gaul: Cabinet Member for Children and Young People
• Councillor Gareth Epps: Cabinet Member for Transport
• Councillor Dan Levy: Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation
• Councillor Liz Leffman: Cabinet Member for Highways Construction and Repair
• Councillor Rebekah Fletcher: Cabinet Member for Adults
• Councillor Kate Gregory: Cabinet Member for Public Health and Inequalities
• Councillor Judith Edwards: Cabinet Member for Local Government Reorganisation and Human Resources
• Councillor Laura Gordon: Cabinet Member for Environment and Economy

During the discussion regarding the election, members questioned the timing of Councillor Leffman's resignation, which occurred immediately after the Annual Council meeting, necessitating this extraordinary session. A request was made for a report into the matter, which the Chair noted.

The meeting was held at County Hall, New Road, Oxford OX1 1ND.

The full agenda for the meeting can be found here. The reports pack is available here, and the minutes of the meeting are available here.