Oldham Council: Still No Leader Chosen

At the Oldham Council extraordinary meeting this evening (Thursday 20) there were two items on the agenda to address.

The first being the Section 5 report from the Director of Legal Services, Alex Bougatef.

The second being the election of a Leader.

On the first item, rules were suspended to allow officers to address the chamber and explain the implications and ramifications of the report if there was no movement from the stalemate that has held the Council without a political executive as required by the Local Government Act 2000 and without a councillor being the lead member for Children’s services as mandated by the Children Act 2004.

Both Mr Bougatef and the Chief Executive, Shelley Kipling, comprehensively outlined the legal and financial implications of failing to provide the executive leadership required by legislation and the impact of Oldham having a lack of voice in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and other political forums of influence outside of the borough.

Discussion on the report attracted cross party acknowledgment. The situation was grave and the consensus appeared to be that a leadership needed to be established.

That consensus faded once the Council moved to the amendments to the agenda item, election of Council Leader. That leader being subsequently responsible for forming a cabinet to guide the Council to the next election in May 2027.

There were seven amendments which should be explained as effectively being proposals.

Because of some problems experienced by Councillor Hobin in submitting his amendment in full, the Mayor proposed that he could present an amended version of his written amendment from the floor.

That was accepted and Councillors Hobin and Navesey, proposed that he as an independent should be leader.

That amendment was the first of seven to fail to attract enough support to pass.

At times, it must be said that debate sometimes descended into anger and insulting language, and it was clear that consensus on leadership would not be reached at the extraordinary meeting.

The conclusion of the evening is that Oldham Council remains in political limbo with no Leader from the political benches and Mr Bougetef will now be obligated to report to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government which will, in all likelihood, result in central government intervention.

What that would comprise of, remains to be seen.