Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Labour loses Oldham majority after 13-year reign

‘I think what we have seen tonight is an indication that people feel like mainstream politics – mainstream parties – aren't for them,’ said council leader Arooj Shah.

Labour loses Oldham majority after 13-year reign

AFTER a dramatic election night, Labour has lost its overall majority in Oldham council for the first time in thirteen years. The group saw seven seats go to independent candidates.

Though they gained two seats in Hollinwood and Failsworth East, they were left with just 26 councillors when the final results were announced at 6am this morning. The results meant they were far below the 31 councillors needed to maintain majority control of the council.


Though predictions about the result circulated online for days before the polling signs went up, Labour’s own data failed to predict just how big the losses would be. And many have suggested that the Labour leader’s stance on Gaza could be to blame – especially in wards such as St Mary’s, Alexandra and Coldhurst where there are large Asian and Muslim populations.

A number of independent candidates in these areas ran on ‘boycott Labour’ campaigns, while others used the colours of the Palestinian flag on their leaflets to show their support.

Arooj Shah e1620731234456 Arooj Shah. (Photo: LDRS)

But reacting to the results this morning, council leader Arooj Shah argued the issue is not that simple. She claimed that ‘bad actors’ in Oldham – and British politics – were ‘exploiting’ the issue to sow division amidst residents who already feel disenfranchised by the cost of living crisis and cuts to local spending.

“I think what we have seen tonight is an indication that people feel like mainstream politics – mainstream parties – aren’t for them,” she told the LDRS. “We saw today that people were really turned off by democracy.”

In Oldham, she thinks this is because of a ‘toxic and divisive’ culture in local politics.

“Our politics has been torn apart by extremism,” she claimed. “You have disinformation, misinformation, smear campaigns and that puts people off standing.”

She argued this is scaring off people ‘who really care’ from getting involved with local politics “because they’re worried about the abuse they’ll get”.

Instead, ‘self-interested’ and ‘tactical’ candidates were using Palestine as a wedge issue – even though it had ‘nothing to do with local politics’, according to one Labour source.

Shah agreed, saying: “When you look at the situation in Palestine, which has been horrific, people have clearly voiced concerns. We called for a ceasefire with Andy Burnham and the other leaders across Greater Manchester very early on when this tragedy began. People want an outlet to voice their concerns and that’s legitimate.

“But what you also see is bad actors on the fringes of British politics that use and exploit those matters and we definitely saw that in Oldham. The matter was definitely manipulated and exploited [in this election].”

A number of council sources suggested that group chats had been circulating on WhatsApp and Telegram with the aim of ‘shoring up’ support for independents on the basis that they would provide a voice for Palestinians.

Shah said: “In the last weeks, I’ve been continuously harassed and baraged online about why we’re not calling for a ceasefire – and we did! But at the end of the day we are local councillors. We’re trying to run a local council. Our concern is with local services.

“Our animosity should be towards the government who have made that really difficult for us over this time after years of cuts.”

But she acknowledged that losing the majority in Oldham might send a message to the Labour leader.

“The message to higher ups in the Labour party is that clearly people care deeply about Palestine,” she said. “But we so desperately need a Labour government to give Oldham the break that it needs.”

The exact nature of the council leadership in future is uncertain. Labour is still the biggest political group in the council and Coun Shah claims talks will take place in the next few days to establish exactly what the new administration will look like.

But to Shah, it’s clear that some wounds need to be healed within Oldham politics. She said: “My message to all the opposition groups in Oldham is that now it’s about coming together and putting the people of Oldham first.”

(Local Democracy Reporting Service)

More For You

Former police officer arrested in Rotherham investigation

Investigators believe the earlier offences happened between 1995 and 2002 (Photo for representation: iStock)

Former police officer arrested in Rotherham investigation

A FORMER police officer has been arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation into child sexual abuse in Rotherham, authorities revealed on Tuesday (1).

The former constable, who is in his 50s, was taken into custody on Monday (31). He is suspected of raping a teenage girl in the South Yorkshire town in 2004, according to officials.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi Xi

Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping during their meeting in October 2024.

75 years of India-China relations: Modi, Xi call for stronger ties

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping exchanged messages on Tuesday to mark the 75th anniversary of India-China diplomatic relations.

Modi stated that the development of bilateral ties contributes to global stability and a multipolar world, while Xi called for a "dragon-elephant tango" to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sri Lanka forms committee to address UK sanctions
Anura Kumara Dissanayake

Sri Lanka forms committee to address UK sanctions

THE Sri Lanka government on Wednesday (2) formed a committee to recommend measures regarding the UK's decision to impose sanctions on three former military commanders who led the campaign that crushed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009.

Health minister Nalinda Jayatissa told reporters that foreign minister Vijitha Herath, justice minister Harshana Nanayakkara and deputy minister of defence Aruna Jayasekara would comprise the committee that would consult experts for the purpose.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gujarat-blast-ANI

The blast caused the factory’s concrete roof to collapse, scattering debris and body parts across the area, officials confirmed. (Photo: ANI)

ANI

Death toll rises to 21 in Gujarat firework factory explosion

AN EXPLOSION at an illegal firecracker factory in Gujarat's Deesa town killed 21 people and injured several others on Tuesday, officials said.

The blast caused the factory’s concrete roof to collapse, scattering debris and body parts across the area, officials confirmed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Child benefit payments set to rise for UK families

Child benefit, normally paid every four weeks directly into bank accounts, has undergone significant changes in recent months (Photo: Getty Images)

Child benefit payments set to rise for UK families

MILLIONS of British families are set to receive a financial boost as child benefit payments increase from April 7, according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

From next week, parents will receive £26.05 per week for the eldest or only child, amounting to £1,354.60 annually - up from the current rate of £25.60. For each additional child, payments will rise to £17.25 weekly, totalling £897 per year - an increase from the present £16.95 rate. This represents a 1.7 per cent increase across all payment categories.

Keep ReadingShow less