Conservative candidate: unpopular with pensioners

8.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 11th Jun 2008

The Conservative choice of County Council Cabinet member John Howell as their by-election candidate has angered many residents. As a senior County Councillor, Mr Howell has backed big council tax rises on local people.

Hardest hit by these rises are often local pensioners. On top of this, Mr Howell and his County Council also supported a large increase in elderly care charges.

One local resident said, "John Howell's County Council has a record of shame when it comes to giving local pensioners a fair deal. How can they expect people to vote for someone with a record like this?"

Many former Conservative supporters are switching to back Lib Dem campaigner Stephen Kearney this time.

Stephen Kearney is battling to get a better deal for older people here.

He is fighting to get funding for Dial-A-Ride - a transport service for the elderly and disabled. The Conservative District Council has refused to fund Dial-A-Ride even though every other district in Oxfordshire does.