His main focuses in politics are social and health care services. Elected in 2005, he became the Green Party councillor group leader in the Oxfordshire County Council. He resigned from the board of the Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare NHS Trust in October 2005 in a principled stand amid concerns that proposed cuts to services will leave vulnerable patients at greater risk. His brother, Bernie Sanders, is U.S. Senator for the state of Vermont. His son, Jacob Sanders, used to be a councillor on the Oxford City Council.