Oldham council to face leadership challenge from independent group

An independent councillor plans to challenge the leadership of Oldham Council’s Labour boss.

Coun Kamran Ghafoor from The Oldham Group declared his intention to call a ‘vote of no confidence’ in the borough’s current leader Arooj Shah. 

He urged the 33 opposition members to ‘unite’ and oust the council leader at the next full council meeting in May.

The council boss hit back at the attempt as ‘creepy’. 

Coun Ghafoor announced the challenge in the council chambers on Wednesday, April 9, after welcoming Graham Sheldon, the former Conservative group leader into his group. 

Coun Ghafoor said: “This Labour administration has failed to deliver on its promises, and the borough has suffered – our streets are dirtier, services are weaker, and communities feel increasingly ignored. 

“There are 33 opposition councillors in this chamber.

"Collectively, we have the experience, the passion, and the mandate to serve our residents.

"At the May meeting, every councillor will face a clear choice: stand with Labour, or stand with the people of Oldham.”

It is not the first leadership challenge Oldham’s Labour leader Arooj Shah has faced.

In May last year, Liberal Democrat, Conservative and independent councillors banded together in a ‘rainbow alliance’ in an attempt to topple the current boss. 

At the deciding vote, four Shaw and Failsworth independents chose to either abstain or side with the existing cabinet following negotiations with the Labour group, who remained in power. 

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands coun Ghafoor intends to attempt a similar ‘alliance’ of opposition groups, this time spearheaded by himself. 

But heckles from the Conservative group at the meeting indicated it may be harder to form a cross-group alliance than last year. 

And Coun Shah did not appear to give the threat much credence.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service after the meeting, she noted there were signs the different opposition groups had incompatible priorities. 

Coun Shah said: “Splendid to hear Coun Ghafoor give me a heads up, but equally creepy that I live rent free in his head. 

“Also equally odd that he chose to do it at the time he was welcoming coun Sheldon into the Oldham Group. 

“Most of The Oldham Group were elected to be the voice of Gaza and yet Coun Sheldon led the walk out of the chamber the last time the Oldham Group brought a Gaza motion forward.”

Coun Ghafoor later responded that the group ‘stands firmly with Gaza and always will’ and ‘refused to silence our members or force them to vote against their conscience’. 

The challenge follows a number of shifts in the political makeup of the council over the past months. 

Three conservative councillors left their group to become independents.

One councillor, the former Tory group leader Graham Sheldon later joined The Oldham Group, making them the joint largest opposition group in Oldham. 

The political makeup of the council is now: 27 Labour members; nine Oldham group councillors; nine Lib Dems; five Conservatives and ten independent councillors belonging to smaller ward-specific groups.

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