Previously independent Oxford city councillor Edward Mundy has joined the Green Party.

Mundy first won election as a Labour Councillor in Holywell ward in 2021. He retained his seat in 2022.  In October 2023, alongside nine other councillors in Oxford, he left the Labour Party. This was due to Keir Starmer saying that Israel had the right to cut off water and electricity in Gaza – widely understood to be collective punishment and therefore a war crime.

Following his departure from Labour, Mundy sat in the Oxford Community Independents group.

Mundy has held a number of senior roles on the council. He was the Labour Group whip for two years and served as chair of the General Purposes Licensing Committee for four years. Presently, he is vice-chair of the Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee.

Speaking on his decision to join the Green Party, Mundy said:

While the far right is emboldened and clearly influencing government policy, it is vital that we have credible socialist voices at the heart of our communities.

The Green Party has an excellent base of political support in Oxford, thanks to years of backing a more sustainable and equal future for the city.

This, along with the bold and principled national leadership of Zack Polanski, means that the Green Party in Oxford has the opportunity to get more councillors elected and push for our city to be a fairer, safer and cleaner place for people across all of our communities.

Not willing to falter on principles, nor condemned by the relentless pursuit of unanimity, the Green Party is at the forefront of progressive politics today and I am looking forward to being part of it with the Oxford City Green Group.

Green Party growth

With Mundy having joined the Green Party, it now has nine councillors on Oxford City Council. This makes the Greens the joint-second largest group with the Liberal Democrats. There are also now more Green councillors on Oxford city council than there have ever been before. The Greens had eight seats on the council from 2000-2002 and again following the 2024 local elections.

Chris Jarvis, leader of the Green Party group on Oxford city council, said:

I’m delighted to welcome Ed to the Green Party. I’ve had the privilege of working closely with Ed over the last four years and have seen how dedicated he is to the people of Oxford and working to make our city a fairer and better place to live.

Since Keir Starmer became Labour leader, he’s taken his party down a dark path. He’s refused to rebalance our economy in favour of ordinary people. He’s scapegoated migrants and refugees. And he’s been a moral vacuum on the global stage, not least through his complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

It’s no wonder therefore that more and more people are turning to the Green Party to offer genuine hope for a greener, fairer and more equitable society – locally here in Oxford and across the country too.

The Green Party is currently experiencing unprecedented growth in membership and in public support. Since Zack Polanski’s election as leader of the Greens, the membership has more than doubled, from around 70,000 to over 180,000. The party is now averaging at around 16 per cent in the opinion polls – a record level of public support.

Featured image via Oxford Green Party

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