MP gives glowing picture of Banbury in maiden speech - but says housing and public services are failing to meet demand

But social housing and public services are failing to to meet demand, he said.

Mr Woodcock – who made history by becoming the constituency’s first Labour MP in July – described how Banbury has changed since the opening of the M40, from a quiet semi-industrial town into a large, central location for logistics, food processing and high end mechanical engineering.

He highlighted its expansion, saying the area’s housing waiting list has quadrupled and vital infrastructure such as schools, roads and health services have failed to meet demand.

Mr Woodcock’s full speech can be seen in the Commons here.

He said: “Change is something Banbury—the largest town in Oxfordshire—has got used to. Banbury... is most famous for our nursery rhyme, known across the English-speaking world.

“Banbury’s history is more than that though; indeed, it is more than just the town itself. The constituency reflects our country’s history, including in its foundations and landscape. We have the neolithic and Bronze Age Rollright Stones; the settlement on the edge of Chipping Norton left to us by the Romans; the Norman castle mound at Deddington and Broughton Castle which, as well being a stunning late-medieval stately home, is likely to be recognisable to many Members as the setting for TV’s Wolf Hall and the films Shakespeare in Love and Three Men and a Little Lady.

“In the village of Wroxton, where I went to school, we have the former home of Lord North. He is also buried in Wroxton, giving us something that not all constituencies have - the resting place of a former Prime Minister.

"Bliss Mill, Tooley’s Boatyard and the Oxford Canal are all remnants of the area’s growth during the industrial revolution,” he said.

“But the most colourful time in our history is undoubtedly the civil war, when Banbury itself was on the side of the Roundheads, despite its castle – right in the middle of the town – being on the side of the Cavaliers. The people of Banbury were so unmistakably Puritan that a poem was written about it:

“’To Banbury came I, O profane one! Where I saw a Puritane-one, Hanging of his cat on Monday, For killing of a mouse on Sunday.’

“More happily, “the Puritans” is the nickname for the only supporter-owned football club in Oxfordshire, Banbury United.

“Although it did not change hands politically between 1922 - 2024, change did come to Banbury in a big way. Old industries such as making cloth in Chipping Norton or aluminium in Banbury went, while new ones such as logistics, with companies such as DHL and TWE Haulage, food processing with Fine Lady Bakeries and Hello Fresh and high-end mechanical engineering with Haas Formula 1 team and Prodrive came in. Other industries, such as brewing, moved within the constituency. We can no longer get a pint in a Hunt Edmunds pub, but Hooky beer from Hook Norton is on sale across the UK.

“The building of the M40 in many ways permanently changed Banbury from a small, semi-industrial market town into something completely different. Thousands of new homes have gone up as our area has become increasingly attractive for commuters to Oxford and London, but we still have a council waiting list that has quadrupled in a decade and a private sector that cannot meet the need. Meanwhile, vital infrastructure such as schools, roads and health services have failed to meet demand, posing fair questions from the community for those, like me, who support the Government’s ambitious house building agenda.

“The community united across political divides, and none, in defence of our local Horton General Hospital when it was faced with downgrading, successfully fighting it off in 2008 and less successfully in 2016.

“As the use of food banks grew after 2010, people came together to help support those in need. The Chippy Larder in Chipping Norton has become a much-loved community resource. Food security in Banbury cannot be considered without mentioning our rural farming communities and perhaps the most famous farm in the country - Clarkson’s Farm.

"For all the entertainment the series has provided, for me the most important aspect is the light it shines on the huge challenges faced by our farmers, not just in the Banbury constituency but throughout the UK. I hope the Government’s programme to support them will relieve many of the burdens that have made farming so challenging for so long.

“Southill Solar farm near Charlbury provides community owned power to 1,200 homes. That is another reason I am so passionate about this Government’s exciting agenda on renewable energy.

“Then there is the volunteer driver service in Banbury, taking the elderly or less able to hospital and GP appointments. Throughout the pandemic people worked hard to help those less fortunate. Banbury’s community, led by some of its Polish citizens, got together again to gather supplies to support the Ukrainian civilians while welcoming others into their homes.

“I pay tribute to my predecessor, Victoria Prentis. Although there was much we disagreed on, this side of the House was united with the Conservative party in support for Ukraine. I pay tribute to Victoria’s decency and clear compassion for humanity, exemplified by her taking a Ukrainian refugee into her home as by her nine years of service to the community.

“I stand in support of this Government and their mandate for change—something Banbury has a history of embracing. Before I finish, I want to thank my family for their support, in particular my wife who, despite having multiple sclerosis, remains the strongest, most steady and most stable woman I have ever met. I stand here as someone Banbury born and bred, ready to build a better Britain and a better Banbury, and I am determined to do it.”