Oldham council leader Arooj Shah survives no-confidence vote amid identity politics row

OLDHAM council leader Arooj Shah said the borough faces a ‘serious challenge around identity politics’ – with ‘every issue becoming a divisive issue’ – following a no-confidence vote mounted against her.

The town hall boss fended off the challenge at a full council meeting last Wednesday (21).

Oldham Group councillor Kamran Ghafoor made a bid for the role, claiming ‘residents have lost trust in the current administration’.

He tried to create a ‘rainbow alliance’ across political groups, but the attempt failed after four independents stood by Labour leaders.

Labour councillors called the challenge ‘a political stunt’ and accused Ghafoor of ‘unsavoury tactics’ to convince the independents supporting the administration to jump ship. Ghafoor denied the allegations.

At a full council meeting last Wednesday (21), Ghafoor said: “This Labour administration doesn’t listen. Not to this chamber. Not to the residents. Not to the people they claim to serve. We are better suited to deal with the real issues facing Oldham than this tired, out-of-touch Labour administration.”

Deputy Elaine Taylor said: “In reality, you have no pathway to govern and no plan to lead. This is just a political stunt. We’ve already heard about some of the unsavoury tactics. You have no policy suggestions, other than anti-Arooj. We have no idea what you stand for.”

Shah has been reinstated as council leader for 2025-2026. The leadership challenge echoed a similar bid made by a ‘rainbow alliance’ of independents, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats exactly a year ago.

At a Greater Manchester Civic Leadership Programme in Manchester for underrepresented identities last Thursday (May 22), Shah claimed the no-confidence vote was ‘personal’.

She later added: “This is about some people not accepting who I am, what my upbringing is, what my heritage is, what my faith is. They can never attack me on delivery, because I have delivered for this borough.”

Shah highlighted the council’s improved financial position; the recent Ofsted upgrade to a ‘good’ rating for children’s services; and much-improved high school attendence rates.

“We have a serious challenge in Oldham around identity politics,” Shah added. “Every issue becomes a divisive issue. If we fix a pothole in one area, we’re told ‘you only fix roads in white areas’. We fix a pothole in a predominantly Asian area, I’m told I ‘only look after my own’.

“I’m the leader of a council. My job is to bring people together, not divide them.”

Ghafoor said: “We remain committed to equality, fairness, and mutual respect. Criticism of councillor Shah’s leadership has never been about her gender. “It has always been about accountability, transparency, and the quality of her leadership. Reducing it to identity politics is a disservice to the many women – and men – who believe in genuine, inclusive representation.”

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham told BBC Radio Manchester: “People should put place first rather than party first and pull together for Oldham. That’s what we try to do. It’s what the leader tries to do.

“It’s best to get in a position where the place is at the forefront. Oldham have got some really exciting plans around Oldham Athletic, which we will support.”

(Local Democracy Reporting Service)