Oldham Group councillor confident ahead of Oldham Council leadership vote

Oldham Council’s leader Arooj Shah will face a no confidence vote at its annual meeting tomorrow (Wednesday).

Councillor Kamran Ghafoor, leader of an independent faction known as The Oldham Group, has put himself forward as an alternative. 

Coun Ghafoor, who represents Hollinwood, has created alliances across the political spectrum to boot out the current cabinet, which is led by a minority Labour administration. 

“We believe we have the backing of the major parties and the independents,” coun Ghafoor told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

“They’re just as tired of this Labour administration as the people of Oldham are.” 

The leadership challenge echoes a similar bid made by a ‘rainbow alliance’ of independents, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats exactly a year ago.

At the time boss coun Howard Sykes was proposed as leader,  as he is the boss of Oldham’s Lib Dems, who were the biggest opposition group at the time. 

The leadership bid failed after the Labour group created a ‘casual alliance’ with the Shaw and Crompton independents and Failsworth independents. 

The political make-up of the council has since changed, with the Oldham Group and Lib Dems now the joint-largest opposition groups.

Mr Ghafoor’s bid at first seemed destined for failure due to tensions between The Oldham Group and Oldham’s Conservatives, after former Tory leader Graham Sheldon quit the party and later joined the independent group. 

These spilled over at the last council meeting, where Tory councillor Lewis Quigg could be heard commentating on his former leader’s ‘betrayal’.

But earlier today (Tuesday), the Conservatives issued an ambiguous statement in which they simultaenously admitted to ‘serious trust issues’ towards the independent groups, but also implied they would support the no-confidence motion. 

A statement read: “The facts are some are playing both sides and if a new administration is formed then it will be down to the Independents to form an administration. 

“We have made it clear that we will not be part of any administration at this time. We will vote according to the mandate we were given by the electorate.” 

The Liberal Democrats have also confirmed they will be supporting the no-confidence vote.

But several different groups believe the outcome of the vote sits ‘firmly in the hands’ of the Failsworth and Shaw independents. 

A number of the councillors in question confirmed to the LDRS they intended to support the Labour cabinet as per their agreement last year, despite a backlash sparked by the emergence of a ‘secret letter’ sent to the government by the Oldham council leader. 

Speaking on his leadership bid, Mr Ghafoor said: “I am confident that the opposition councillors of Oldham Council will do the right thing - putting the people of Oldham first rather than making backroom deals with this out-of-touch administration,”

And if they don’t, the electorate will remember that at the next election.

"That, I am confident about.”

He claims as a leader he would ‘focus on the basics’.

He added: “We’ll prioritise issues that actually matter to residents - cleaning up waste, fixing potholes, addressing back alleys, and stabilising rising council tax.

"Oldham needs a council that serves its people - not political interests.”

Oldham Council was contacted for comment.

Council leader Shah previously gave little credence to the leadership threat, saying it was ‘creepy that she lives rent free in [coun Ghafoor’s] head’.

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