2025 break in tradition haunts Oldham: it must be fixed now

For the first 50 years of Oldham Council, a politically-neutral approach was taken to appointing the Mayor, based on a points system agreed by all parties. When it was abandoned by the Labour party in 2025, the Liberal Democrat group warned that it would come back to haunt the Council. It only took 12 months. 

After the Liberal Democrats agreed to defer their nomination in 2024, to allow Cllr Chauhan to extend his service following the sad loss of his wife, in 2025, the administration instead scrapped the neutral system, and awarded the Deputy Mayor to the independent councillor Brian Hobin, who subsequently voted to keep the minority Labour administration in power. 

Liberal Democrat Councillor Helen Bishop said: “The role of Mayor – particularly the ceremonial function – is not a political one, and we have simply asked to reinstate the existing neutral approach. 

“Despite this ensuring that the Reform group would be almost certain to be allocated the Deputy Mayor role in 12 months’ time, they seem insistent on keeping this role as a political appointment. 

“Reform’s nomination as Deputy Mayor – the person who would have to chair the meeting, and have complete knowledge of the Council’s rules and processes should the Mayor have to miss a meeting for any reason – is a brand new councillor who has never been in a meeting before. We have seen from council meetings just next door in Kirklees what can happen if people do not understand elements such as the standing orders. It simply doesn’t make sense.”

Liberal Democrat Councillor Garth Harkness added: “Howard Sykes warned last year this would come back to haunt the Council. It didn’t take long.

“We would be delighted to hear from Labour or Reform how they could ensure that this crucial role becomes once again a neutral appointment, recognising long service, and commitment to the borough. As a minority group, we can only do so much.

“For us, the priority should be on getting practical action taken now. That’s why we put forward a motion to update the Council’s budget to reflect an incoming administration’s priorities. We hope more groups will focus on what we can achieve as a Council, and not what post their members will get.”

Following the stalemate at the recent Council meeting, the Local Government Association will now come in to assist finding a way forward, following a request from the Liberal Democrat group.