2018 Oxford City Council election

The Oxford Conservative Association's chair Mark Bhagwandin criticised the Labour administration for a lack of affordable housing in Oxford, including at the recent Barton development. He stated he was confident that the Conservatives could improve on their previously weak position in Oxford, and that they would hold Labour to account. The party pledged to freeze the salaries of senior council staff, which Bhagwandin described as "huge".[11]

The Green Party's campaign also emphasised a need for scrutiny and opposition; co-leader Caroline Lucas stated while campaigning in Oxford that "one more Labour councillor won't make any difference", while "one more Green councillor" would ensure the council was "forced to deliver".[12] Lucas identified homelessness as the issue on which Oxford's Green councillors been most active,[12] and the Greens' manifesto highlighted their past campaigns for the council to provide additional homeless shelters and consider the use of rent controls, as well as their role in challenging fines for rough sleepers and removal of their property.[13] Green policies also included addressing air pollution in St. Clement's[12] by extending the council's proposed zero-emission zone,[13] and redesignating the entire development on the Lucy Faithfull House site for affordable housing (instead of half as proposed by the council).[11]

Oxford's governing Labour Party pledged in its manifesto, subtitled Fighting Austerity for a Fairer City, to build 1000 affordable homes and work with adjacent councils on "high quality urban extensions that will increase the availability of affordable homes".[14][15] The Leader of the Council, Susan Brown, advocated more development in the Oxford Green Belt to meet the city's housing needs.[11] Emphasising Oxford's "strong cycling tradition",[16] the manifesto included policies to provide more lanes and parking for cyclists, while supporting cycle hire businesses.[14][17] On homelessness, Labour pledged increased spending and cooperation with charitable and voluntary organisations "with the objective of ensuring that no-one has to sleep rough in Oxford".[14] Other "key pledges" included promotion of an Oxford living wage, support for sports clubs and facilities, and measures to reduce the city's carbon footprint and air pollution.[18]

Launching the manifesto, Susan Brown and Shadow Secretary of State for Housing John Healey attacked the central government's austerity programme as responsible for homelessness and other social problems in Oxford and elsewhere, while Healey praised Oxford City Council's track record under its Labour administration.[17] The Guardian journalist and Labour activist Owen Jones canvassed for the party's candidate Rabyah Khan in Summertown.[19]

Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable highlighted the issues of homelessness and unaffordable housing during a visit to Oxford, while the party's Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran argued that Labour was over-dominant on the council and that additional Lib Dem councillors would provide improved scrutiny.[20] The party's manifesto[21] included pledges to re-examine potential sites in Oxford in order to build "hundreds more houses",[22] with their councillors suggesting that land designated for business development could be reallocated for housing.[11] The Lib Dems supported a review of the Green Belt for new sites for development, with safeguards for "areas of natural, historic, or scientific interest".[22] They proposed increased accommodation and support for homeless people, while opposing fining of rough sleepers.[23] Other pledges included a tourism tax as a source of revenue for public works.[24] The Lib Dem leader on the council, Andrew Gant, suggested that some voters would support the party because of opposition to Brexit.[11]

Ward results are taken from the Oxford City Council website.[30] Results are described as holds or gains based on comparison with the 2014 election.

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini	647	73.0	+2.9
	Conservative	Pat Jones	106	12.0	+1.1
	Liberal Democrats	Rosemary Anne Beatrice Morlin	68	7.7	-0.4
	Green	Matthew James Hull	65	7.3	-0.9
Turnout			886	19.9	1.3
	Labour hold

The Northfield Brook seat contested at this election had been won by Labour in 2014.[4] It was vacant between the death of Councillor Jennifer Pegg in November 2017 and the May 2018 election.[31][32]