Oldham: Amanda Chadderton to become new council leader

Amanda Chadderton will be confirmed as council leader at a meeting later this month

Labour councillor Amanda Chadderton is set to become the new leader of Oldham Council after her predecessor lost her seat in the local elections.

Arooj Shah, who became the north of England's first female Muslim council leader in 2021, was edged out by the Tories, who won by 96 votes.

Ms Chadderton, who served as the council's deputy leader, was elected as the new Labour group leader on Monday.

She will be formally appointed as council leader on 25 May.

Ms Chadderton, a councillor for Royton South, will become the third female leader of Oldham Council.

In a tweet, she said it was "the absolute honour of my life to lead my hometown".

Arooj Shah lost her council seat in Thursday's local elections

Labour remains by far the largest group on Oldham Council following Thursday's local election results with 35 of the 60 seats, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reports.

But Ms Shah was one of six Labour councillors to lose their seats, including three to independents, although they did gain a seat in Medlock Vale.

After the result was announced, Ms Shah complained about some of her rivals' campaigns, saying she had felt "dehumanised".

The Conservatives have strongly denied any such behaviour.

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