Labour has lost its majority on Oxford City Council after a ninth councillor resigned from the party over its stance on the conflict in Israel and Gaza.
The party, which had held a majority on the council since 2010, is now a minority administration.
Labour was left with 23 sitting councillors, with 25 in opposition, after Barbara Coyne announced she was resigning and would sit as an independent.
Council leader Susan Brown said: ‘I was very sad to hear from Councillor Barbara Coyne that she had made the very difficult decision to leave the Labour Party and therefore our Labour Group.
‘Barbara has written to me to say that she is resigning on the basis of her principles and convictions over the party’s national response to the unfolding situation in Gaza and the West Bank.
‘She has, however, also told me that she does not wish to join any other groups on Oxford City Council and intends to vote with the Labour Group, working to implement the manifesto on which we were all elected.’
The two Oxford councillors who were first to leave the Labour party have launched a new Independent Group.
Last week, London mayor Sadiq Khan and Greater Manchester Combined Authority mayor Andy Burnham, along with the leaders of Greater Manchester's ten councils, called for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza.
