[5][6] Elected county councils were first introduced in England and Wales in 1889 as a result of the Local Government Act 1888, taking over administrative functions until then carried out by unelected magistrates at the quarter sessions.

Victor Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey, a Conservative peer, was appointed the first chairman of the county council.

Labour withdrew from the coalition in September 2023, since when a Liberal Democrat–Green Party alliance has been running the council as a minority administration.

This form of membership was ended by the Local Government Act 1972, so that after 1974 only honorary (that is, non-voting) aldermen could be appointed.

The old part of the building was a courthouse built in 1841, which had served as the meeting place of the quarter sessions which preceded the county council.

[27] In 2021, the Liberal Democrat/Green/Labour administration moved a motion at Full Council to serve only plant-based (vegan) meals at all council-catered events and meetings, and vegan school meals in primary schools two days a week as part of its climate change action policy.

This policy was controversial and drew protests from livestock farmers and TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson, who owns a farm in the county.

[38] In November 2022, the Conservatives unsuccessfully sought to cancel vegan meals at council-catered events, which cost £6,000 annually and are purchased from a Kidlington business which sources food from Woodstock.