Council leader gives first statement after explosive leadership battle

Oldham’s council boss says she wants to move on and is ‘glad the charade is over’ following a tense battle for her leadership earlier today.

A council meeting erupted several times into arguments and shouting matches as a group of independents sought to ‘overthrow’ the Labour leader. 

Councillor Kamran Ghafoor, boss of The Oldham Group, attempted to unite opposition groups across the political spectrum to boot out the current cabinet at a full council meeting on Wednesday, May 21. He claimed Oldham residents had ‘lost trust’ in the current administration. 

But his bid to take councillor Arooj Shah’s place failed when four independents from Shaw & Crompton and Failsworth topped up the vote of 27 Labour councillors, giving the Labour leader a majority of 31 out of 60 councillors. 

The vote echoed a previous attempt to oust the leader by opposition councillors, when Lib Dem boss Howard Sykes made a bid for Coun Shah’s job last year. The attempt was foiled by the same four independents, who have formed a ‘casual agreement’ with the council administration. 

In her first statement since re-securing her position as leader, Coun Shah said: “I hope that coun Ghafoor now uses the chamber to represent his residents, rather than letting me occupy his mind so much, every time I spoke today I could hear him behind me mocking every word.

“With a mandate of just nine councillors I’m struggling to understand why he thinks he has a right to lead this council. Labour is the biggest group by far – three times bigger than his group – just like we were this time last year.

“I’m glad this charade is over and I am grateful for the confidence that members of the council placed in me to continue leading this fantastic Borough, and I look forward working to deliver for all of our residents.

“2025 is going to be a massive year for our Borough, we will see so much change and I can’t wait to share more with residents.”