Former cabinet minister gets involved with Labour election campaign

A former cabinet minister said he believes a win is possible for Labour in the Bicester and Woodstock constituency.

Jack Straw, former cabinet minister in the Labour government from 1997 until 2010, has said he believes Labour candidate Veronica Oakeshott can win the new constituency, citing similarities with seats that became Labour in 1997.

Mr Straw served in the cabinet continuously from 1997-2010, including in two of the traditional Great Offices of State as both Home and Foreign Secretary under the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

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A long-term west Oxfordshire resident, Mr Straw was born in Essex.

Speaking at a Labour event in Burford on Sunday (June 23) he said: “In 1997, we never believed we had a chance in my home county of Essex."

Until then the entire county of Essex was represented by Conservative MPs.

Mr Straw added: “We watched the votes come in. Braintree, then Harwich as it was, and then Castle Point.

"They’d all been Conservative for decades, but we won.

"So I know that despite similar long-held Tory heritage, in Bicester & Woodstock and west Oxfordshire more widely, Labour can do exactly the same - win.”

Ms Oakeshott is cautious about comparing now to the 1997 election too closely.

She said: “We cannot assume that Labour will win nationally, or here.

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"Back then turnout was high in Essex - over 70 per cent in all three of those one of two.

"Everyone who wants change must turn out and vote Labour on July 4.”

However she did acknowledge similarities between Mr Straw's experience in Essex and experiences in Bicester, Kidlington and Woodstock too.

She added: “More people are struggling.

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"They can feel their standard of living has gone down.

"They can’t get doctors appointments. Their kids' schools are understaffed - some with no qualified maths teachers.”

Ms Oakeshott will be standing against Rupert Harrison (Conservatives), Calum Miller (Liberal Democrats), Ian Middleton (Green), Augustine Obodo (Reform UK) and Tim Funnell (Social Democratic Party) in the General Election next week.