Man of the people

IMMENSE stature . . . Riaz Ahmad

Martyn meets... Riaz Ahmed, former Oldham Mayor — and a man who never gives up
FOR a man who was forced to flee his family home by fire bombers, my lunch host at the cavernous restaurant which used to be Cheetham Hill Town Hall was remarkably sanguine.

But then again, Riaz Ahmad is, was and always will be a man of immense stature and dignity.

This is a man of forthright views, delivered with a courtesy bordering on the extreme, who will not be cowed by anyone: “Certainly not thugs. There is no way we can let them win,” he said.

He spoke quietly about those dark days 11 years ago when, at the very zenith of his public life, when he had a achieved his long-held ambition of becoming Mayor of Oldham, he was caught up in the chaotic aftermath of the problems that put Oldham on a world map. For all the wrong reasons.

“It was a dream came true when I became Mayor, but there I was having to deal with the aftermath of those terrible events of 2001.

“I was caught up right in the middle of it all, when it all started and I tried my best to stop it.

“When my home was attacked and my family had to move out it was a terrible ordeal. It was the only time I have ever questioned myself but I will never, ever give in to the bad guys.

“I received hundreds of letters, from all sides of the community and they were all supportive. I have kept all the letters and even now, more than a decade on, I read them occasionally. They are very moving.”

During two hours in Riaz’s company, at his accountancy practice headquarters on the outskirts of Manchester city centre and in the near-by restaurant, those few sentences were the only time he ever used the word “I”.

All else, and he has achieved much in his 37 years in his adopted country, was the royal “we”. For Riaz is above all a team man, even if he often leads those teams.

This selfless approach to life was exemplified when I broached what I thought would a subject which would bare his soul.

It did, but why was I surprised at his reaction to what must have been a crushing blow when he didn’t win the nomination to fight for the parliamentary seat of Oldham East and Saddleworth in the 2010 by election?

Seventy people sought that nomination, that’s right 70.

Riaz made it to the long list of 17 interviewed in London by the national executive committee of the Labour Party and then made it to a shortlist of three — the others being Councillor Abdul Jabbar and eventual winner Debbie Abrahams.

The trio each made individual hour-long presentations and answered questions posed by the local Labour Party membership.

“When Debbie was chosen I was disappointed, for sure. But that lasted only about 20 seconds. I promised to work for her election and I like to think I helped in that regard.”

But it must have been harrowing, I persisted, given his 16 years of service as a Labour councillor in Oldham and his countless hours in his other public service roles?

“I told you — I said I would do my level best to help get her elected and I think I did,” he said with a patience I didn’t deserve.

“Will you try again for national office?” I inquired, testing even further Riaz’s legendary patience.

“No, I don’t think so . . . it is so difficult. There are so many candidates on the national list and in the next parliamentary elections there will be fewer seats after the Boundary Commission report is adopted so there will sitting MPs looking for seats, too.

“Politics, especially at national level, is a strong business. I tried to get elected to the European parliament but came sixth on the list — Labour would need to have got 80 per cent of the vote for me to get a seat!”

With this, his features cracked into a self-deprecating smile of acknowledgement of the fates.

National politics would have been a natural progression for this man of the people who has served at local and regional level and, even though he quit the council four years ago, he continues to hold public positions.

He knows, deep down, that he will not now reach the next level but is content, with his life, his lot and with what cards have dealt him and his family.

As he contemplates retirement — still at least a couple of years down the line — with his son already in place to take up the practice, Riaz looks forward to more travel and, hopefully, a long cruise.

But he still has much to give, even as the shutters appear to be closing inexorably on public life at a national level.

That then is one chapter in a remarkable life that appears to be past tense, one ambition unsated. But I wouldn’t bet on it, even at 58 the light flickers in those dark eyes and the smile that crinkles his lightly whiskered features suggests that this is one guy who doesn’t give up. On anything.

Not giving up brought him to England in the first place, at the age of 21 from his small village of Dhonia in Pakistan’s Punjab region.

His father Jallal was already here when he arrived to find torrential rainfall.

“On my first day at Openshaw College, where I as studying science, it was raining so I stayed at home.

“My father asked ‘What are doing? Why aren’t you at college?’ As I pointed to the rain, he told me ‘Get out of the house — it rains all the time here in England’.”

There was a hearty laugh as he recounted this tale of his early days in what was to become his home — and another when he discovered he was “hopeless” at science so switched to accountancy.

It was a wise decision — I get the impression this man had made any number of those in his life — and so he enrolled at Worcester, paid for by his father, and later completed his studies at Huddersfield Polytechnic.

And all the while he was involved with his local community as a volunteer. This was a seamless progression for as a young man in his home country Riaz had supported the Red Cross box collection, helping build parcels for the 70,000 Pakistan troops held captive in India’s harsh northern lands — a territory even more hostile in the blitzkrieg winters. The prisoners were held for three years after the Indo-Pakistan war which created Bangladesh.

Working with his local community in Oldham he was invited to attend the opening of a law centre in Oldham and recalls: “I was told I would meet the Mayor of Oldham. I was so excited. I couldn’t wait for the day.”

That young impressionable man did indeed meet the Mayor, Councillor Harry Slack, and vowed that one day he, too, would become Mayor.

It was an ambition he fulfilled in 2002 after a steep learning curve when his mentors included Colin Smith, the former council chief executive, and councillors John Battye, Margaret Riley and David Jones.

“They were people I admired hugely. I also learned a lot from Councillor Richard Knowles, even though he was of a different political persuasion. I admired the way he conducted himself and held the executive to account.”

He was elected to the council for Werneth in 1992 and managed his public commitments alongside his professional life, working for the Co-operative Wholesale Society and British Telecom before setting up Riaz and Co.

For many years he has been chair of the NHS in Oldham — which has lately become a paid post — helping lead the trust from no-star status to PCT of the Year four years on.

He also led the governors who turned around Greenhill School from one classified as needing special measures to one of the top 10 in the country.

And all the while — alongside his many other achievements — he talked of the teams he worked with. The Royal We was evident in all we discussed.

The future for Riaz and his hugely supportive wife Safira is perhaps unknown, certainly in terms of his commitment to the community.

Clearly he still has much to give but whether he will be in a position to offer his undoubted talents only time will tell.

For now Oldham should rejoice that we have people in our midst like Riaz Ahmed who have integrated themselves into the very fabric of our society and, despite some horrific experiences, remain committed too all they believe in.


This is the final feature in the current series. Martyn Meets returns in September.


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