Chesterton and Launton
Oxfordshire County Council electoral division covering Chesterton and Launton near Bicester.
Liberal Democrat James Hartley held Chesterton and Launton at an Oxfordshire County Council by-election on 3 September 2026, a result Mark Pack says gave his party majority control of the council.
Last refreshed: 7 October 2026
Timeline for Chesterton and Launton
Labour takes Hirst and Amble from Reform
UK Local Elections 2026Background
Chesterton and Launton is an electoral division of Oxfordshire County Council, named after two villages near Bicester.
James Hartley held the division for the Liberal Democrats at a by-election on 3 September 2026. According to Mark Pack, WHO keeps a running record of council by-election results, the hold gave the party an outright majority on the county council, so it no longer needs Coalition partners to pass a budget.
That majority governs an authority with an uncertain future. Oxfordshire is one of 14 areas whose Local Government Reorganisation decisions, dated 16 July 2026, are under review, so the shape of the council the Liberal Democrats now control could still change.