A council leader has survived a second attempt to oust her in as many years.
Labour’s Arooj Shah, leader of a minority administration on Oldham Council, was saved when an independent group stepped in to outnumber others who had banded together to try to overthrow the leadership.
Shah said the council needed to move on from the “distraction” of “childish games” and “identity politics”.
Kamran Ghafoor, who launched the failed takeover, said the motion of no confidence was driven “by a fundamental concern over leadership style, transparency, and decision-making”.
Ghafoor, who leads the Oldham Group, attempted to unite opposition groups but failed when 31 out of 58 voted against his leadership bid.
The Failsworth Independents stepped in to give Shah the numbers she needed to survive.
Shah told BBC Radio Manchester: “We are doing some important stuff and we’re focusing on regeneration – what we don’t need is distractions.”
She said the council wanted to “focus on serving the residents”, adding: “What I am hoping is that they end these childish games, and that the vote has drawn a line in the sand.”
Shah said she hoped her opponents would “realise there are serious people in that chamber who just want to crack on with their job”.
However, Ghafoor said it was “regrettable” that Shah had “chosen to dismiss legitimate democratic scrutiny as a childish game”, adding that it “undermines the seriousness of the concerns raised by a diverse group of councillors who represent significant parts of the Oldham community”.
“The issues we raised were substantive, and they reflect frustrations shared by many residents – including Labour voters – about how the town is being led,” he added.
“We remain committed to working constructively for the people of Oldham, holding power to account, and ensuring that all communities have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives.”
