Two councillors switch allegiances for second time in one year

A councillor duo in Oldham have returned to the local Conservative group just seven months after quitting the party.

Couns Dave Arnott and Christine Adams became independents in March over ‘internal issues’ within the local group. 

The Royton North representatives noted they had ‘always intended’ to return to the party eventually. The shift was registered with the council on October 6 but was not announced publicly. 

Coun Arnott said: “It was in March that we made the decision to leave the Conservatives due to internal issues we don’t intend to comment on in public at this time. We have continued to represent our ward as independents. 

“Things have now changed within the party and the group. We were approached and asked if we would reconsider and after conversations and giving it some thought, we both decided this would be in the best interest of Royton North.” 

The Conservatives have suffered a row of defections this year, including the former leader of the group, coun Graham Sheldon. Mr Sheldon departed the group in January after a public ‘scuffle’ with another group member. 

The former Tory leader and Saddleworth South representative later joined the Oldham Group, an alliance of anti-Labour independents who often represent Muslim interests in the council. 

Mr Arnott then became Oldham’s Conservative leader, only to quit the local group less than two weeks later along with his wife Mrs Adams. 

Their return to the group came just a few weeks after a fellow Conservative councillor Lewis Quigg quit the party and became one of Oldham’s first Reform UK candidates, alongside former independents Coun Sandra Ball and Mark Wilkinson. 

The political make-up of Oldham council is now as follows: 

• 27 Labour councillors 
• Nine Liberal Democrats 
• Nine Oldham Group independents 
• Six Conservative councillors
• Three Reform UK councillors
• Two Failsworth Independent Party councillors
• Two Shaw Independents
• Two Royton Independents