An anti-LTN campaigner running as a candidate to become the next MP for Oxford East says he thinks he can win the seat.
David Henwood is a councillor for the Independent Oxford Alliance (IOA) party representing the Rose Hill & Iffley ward and was elected on a platform opposing controversial traffic policies in the city.
He will be putting up a challenge to the incumbent Labour MP, Anneliese Dodds, to win the seat as an Independent, which covers wards ranging from Cowley to Blackbird Leys as well as the city centre.
This comes following suggestions of a “shake-up” in the political map of Oxford, as the IOA was among those celebrating gains in the local elections earlier this month.
Mr Henwood is not running as a candidate for the IOA, which says it has not put forward any candidates for the general election that will take place on 04 July.
Speaking of his candidacy, Mr Henwood said said: “I am confident we can put a serious challenge to Anneliese Dodds.
“And I actually think if I work my socks off, I can win this.
“But it will be on the doorstep – as an Independent I am steered by what the community wants.”
Mr Henwood previously stood as an Independent candidate in the last general election but managed to secure just 0.5 per cent of the vote compared to Ms Dodds’ 57 per cent.
When asked about his electoral vision, the Independent hopeful said he was advocating for “better connectivity” and a “review of the LTN scheme”.
In relation to wider political policies, Mr Henwood said he was “disappointed with Labour’s view on Palestine” and claimed the Labour incumbent’s views were “inconsistent with the views of people in Oxford”.
He added: “When it comes to giving aid I think the best form we could do as a country is use our British engineers to reinstate some of the infrastructure that’s desperately needed.”
Speaking of his personal background, Mr Henwood said he was born in a military hospital in Colchester as his father was serving in the army but then came back to Oxford at the age of one and lived there ever since apart from spending 20 years in Japan.
He said he found city projects such as plans for the new Osney Bridge ‘wasteful’ and that he would ask the council to “review the Oxford local plan to reintroduce employment sites to take up future housing need”.
Other candidates for the seat in Oxford East are Green, Sushila Dhall; Labour, Anneliese Dodds; Liberal Democrats, Theo Jupp; Reform UK, Lawrence Haar; SDP, Benjamin Adams; Independent, Amir Steve Ali.
We approached Ms Dodds for comment.
