A SADDLEWORTH Councillor believes the departure of Oldham’s borough leader is the culmination of ‘ignoring residents.’
And Max Woodvine believes the way forward must involve collaboration, ambition and a future without Labour rule.
Cllr Arooj Shah is standing down from the role after poor local election results left the authority split.
Labour has 18 members, Reform UK has 16 and The Oldham Group 10, with the former ruling out ‘any working agreement’ with groups that ‘have run divisive and toxic campaigns.’
And Saddleworth South’s Cllr Woodvine, leader of the Conservative group that consists of four representatives which may hold the key to who becomes head, feels this demise has been coming.
He said: “Since 2018, subsequent Labour group Leaders have managed the decline of Oldham Council, starting with Sean Fielding, Amanda Chadderton and finally Arooj Shah – the nail in the coffin.
“By ignoring residents, they have brought about the downfall of their party as their Councillor cohort has dwindled from 45 to just 18.
“They have run reserves down to nothing and the budget gap is in the tens of millions – that isn’t good governance.
“Every year they take out incredible levels of borrowing, but they forget it needs to be paid back
“The loan and interest repayments come from the council’s revenue budget, the money that should be spent on frontline service delivery.
“That has resulted in cuts to services that make the most difference to our residents’ daily lives.
“Meanwhile, Arooj has bunkered down in her bombproof office, only emerging to unveil the various vanity projects in the town centre.
“Over the last two years she has sidelined our Conservative group, regularly insulted our intelligence, and her Labour Party has blocked all the business we have brought to full council.”
The first meeting of Oldham Council following the elections, on Wednesday, May 20, is likely to see discussions over who should become leader.
It is understood the Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives and the array of Independents are central to the way forward.
And Cllr Woodvine added: “It is time for change. Oldham needs collaboration, ambition and a future without Labour rule.”
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