Councillors backed by Galloway’s party for upcoming election

A group of independent councillors in Oldham have joined forces with George Galloway’s The Workers Party ahead of the next local election.

The Oldham Group, one of the largest opposition groups in Oldham Council, confirmed they would place two ‘Oldham Group and Workers Party’ candidates on the ballot in May 2026. The candidates will stand in Werneth (Rangzaib Nazir) and South Chadderton (Saqib Javaid) pictured below.

The partnership emerged after a meeting (pictured below) between the group and the Workers Party on Tuesday, September 23.

The Workers Party, set up by former MP George Galloway, describes itself as a socialist and working class party. It’s known to have socially conservative views, an anti-Nato stance and endorses a ‘one-state in Palestine’ view on the conflict in Gaza.

The Oldham Group consists of a mix of new independents and former Conservatives who stood on a slate of anti-Labour and pro-Palestine massages at the local election in 2024.

Kamran Ghafoor, leader of the Oldham Group, said: “[We’re] pleased to announce the formation of a partnership with the Workers Party in two wards within Oldham. We are confident that this partnership will strengthen relationships between our organisations and provide a platform for greater electoral success.”

Coun Ghafoor, who was recently accused of insulting the townhall leader, Labour councillor Arooj Shah, noted that they are looking for ‘strategic partnerships wherever it will help get rid of the Labour Party’. The group previously attended an ‘evening with Jeremy Corbyn’ event.

Coun Ghafoor said their partnership with the Workers Party will not exclude them from cooperating with other political groups.

The meeting of the two groups was attended by Workers Party deputy leader Imtiaz Ahmad as part of a wider effort to stand 1,000 candidates across the country in May. Mr Ahmad said the partnership was built on ‘shared determination’

Mr Galloway added: “Oldham deserves better than the failed leadership it suffers today. By joining forces with the Oldham Group, we are uniting strength with strength to deliver real representation for local people. This is the beginning of a wider movement in Oldham and across the country,
to put power back in the hands of the people.”

The local elections will take place on Thursday, May 7, 2026.