Arooj Shah: “I’d like to be judged by my own standards, by my own conduct.”

For Arooj Shah, taking on the leadership of Oldham council feels like a historic moment.

This Wednesday (May 19) she will be officially confirmed as the borough’s new leader, a first not just for Oldham but for the whole north of England.

Being a Muslim woman of Pakistani heritage in politics hasn’t been easy, and while Cllr Shah has been taking strides in her political career, her friendship with a criminal associate of Dale Cregan has also prompted an ongoing backlash against the Labour councillor.

She has been childhood friends with Mohammed Imran Ali, or ‘Irish Immy’, since the age of 11.

Ali was convicted in 2013 for assisting the killer by driving him to Leeds after his murder of gangland rival David Short in 2012.

Cregan later went on to murder two female police officers Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone.

In December 2019, Cllr Shah stood up in the council chamber to put her relationship with Ali on the record after it had become the subject of intense speculation on social media.

She also spoke about her brother during the speech, who has served time in prison.

When asked about her brother’s past, and whether her ongoing association with Ali is appropriate as a politician, Cllr Shah responds frankly.

“I can’t be responsible for my upbringing, for the choices that people in my life make,” she said.

“I can condemn their individual and personal choices but I can’t condemn them as people. And that is something that I’ve been really honest and open about.

“I’ve been born into one of the most deprived areas in the whole country. 

“I know people from all walks of life but I am such a strong believer in rehabilitation, such a strong believer that these people didn’t choose to take the path that they did but lack of opportunities do drive people towards that.

“I am not here to cancel people from society or culture but I’m certainly here to make sure there are opportunities for people so that they don’t make those bad choices in life.

“But I’m not responsible for what other people do.

“I’d like to be judged by my own standards, by my own conduct.”

Another issue that has dogged the Labour administration in recent years is allegations of historic child exploitation in the borough.

An independent review led by the team who wrote the damning report into the Operation Augusta investigations in Manchester is currently underway.

There is no confirmed date for when the report into Oldham will be published, and when questioned Cllr Shah states she has no more information on its timescale.

“That report will come out when the report comes out,” she added.

“It’s completely independent, I have no control over that report.

“My job is not to protect individual reputations, my job as leader is to instil confidence in our social services.

“If somebody is vulnerable and is being exploited in that way they need to know that they can pick up the phone to us and we will take the utmost robust action against those people.

“I don’t want people out there thinking they can’t turn to us.

“That’s what worries me.”

Cllr Shah was first elected to the council for Labour in 2012 in St Mary’s ward in Glodwick, the area on Oldham she has lived her whole life.

Her parents had moved to the UK from Pakistan in 1968 to work in the local textile industry, one of many families that came from newly independent Commonwealth countries to fill gaps in the labour market.

She will have her new position confirmed on Wednesday as she officially takes over from Sean Fielding, who lost his Failsworth West ward seat to the Failsworth Independent Party at the recent local elections.

Cllr Shah has today (Monday) received a strong endorsement from her predecessor.

Mr Fielding Tweeted: “So pleased to see Arooj Shah take the top job.

“Civic leadership should reflect the communities it serves and this is a step forward for Oldham.

“I hope this will encourage more women to put themselves forward to be Oldham Labour councillors, there are too few!”

Cllr Amanda Chadderton will become Cllr Shah’s Deputy Leader, along with Cllr Abdul Jabbar, who is already in the role.

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