‘Harassed’ Arooj will be missed by Council

INTEGRITY... Arooj Shah will be back say her Labour colleagues. Pictured with Debbie Abrahams MP after her election defeat earlier this month.

TRIBUTES were last night paid to popular former councillor Arooj Shah who lost her seat in the recent local elections.

Shah made history in Oldham, becoming its first-ever female Asian Cabinet member and just months ago went head-to-head with Jean Stretton to become the borough’s first female council leader.

Councillor Riaz Ahmad claimed that Ms Shah had endured forms of harassment during her recent election campaign in St Mary’s, in which she lost her seat to independent Aftab Hussain.

He said: “Arooj, although she was only here for one term, she made a huge impact on the council and she made a huge impact, not just locally but, regionally and nationally. She has many qualities.

“For her to get elected in the first place was a tremendous achievement on its own. For a female to get elected in a place like Glodwick was a huge achievement and a major step forward, she did that and won many hearts.

“She’s brave, she doesn’t shy away from challenges.

“She has behaved with great dignity lately and all the time and never compromised her principles.

“What impressed me about Arooj the most was how she’s behaved with integrity in the last few weeks and months. With all the rubbish that has been thrown at her over the last few weeks.

“Anything and everything which could have been done was thrown at her. A picture super-imposed with her face, things being pushed through her letterbox. She had to put up with a lot.

“No politician should have to put up with that but she still behaved with huge integrity. She did that because, in her own words, she was flying the flag not just for Asian women but for all women.

“We’ll miss her in this chamber and I hope she’ll be back before long.”

Oldham Council leader Jean Stretton added: “She was a hard-working councillor for her ward. She worked with the community on a range of projects.

“We will miss her in this Chamber... for the time-being.

“Arooj is a very capable young woman, she has much to offer and I’m sure she has a very promising future.”

Tributes were also paid to Labour stalwart Bernard Judge who was also deselected by local party members in Royton North after 33 years as councillor there - but instead contested the Crompton seat earlier this month and was unsuccessful.

Judge is best known as either the Mayor of Music or the Mod Mayor, for his love of music and his beloved Lambretta scooter.

Fittingly, the tributes were led by the councillor who beat him in Crompton, Liberal Democrat Diane Williamson.

She said: “All he wanted to do was help. In particular the residents of Royton North, and the rest of the borough.

“It’s such a shame that we were put in the position where we stood against each other.”

Councillor Steve Bashforth, a good friend of Judge’s, said: “He is a real champion for fighting against things he feels are unjust.

“Bernard is an honourable man, he will not lie to you. He is a genuinely honourable man. We will miss him as a councillor.”