Ousted Oldham Council leader says town's politics remain toxic

Amanda Chadderton said the attacks she faced appealed "to the lowest common denominator"

The former councillor who became Oldham's third leader to be voted out in as many years has said the town has failed to move away from the "toxic" politics it has seen in recent times.

Labour's Amanda Chadderton, who lost her seat on 4 May, said her defeat was partly due to an unfounded conspiracy theory about child sexual exploitation.

She said the attacks she faced appealed "to the lowest common denominator".

Ms Chadderton lost her seat to independent candidate Maggie Hurley.

She took charge in May 2022 after Arooj Shah, the north of England's first female Muslim council leader, was ousted.

Ms Shah had become leader a year earlier after her Labour predecessor Sean Fielding lost his seat.

Ms Chadderton finished fourth in a poll to elect three Royton South ward councillors with 923 votes.

Ms Hurley received 1,039 votes and took first place, despite being a political newcomer, while the second and third places were taken by Ms Chadderton's Labour colleagues Marie Bashforth (978 votes) and Steven Bashforth (944 votes).

Turnout in the ward was 31.2%.

'Dog whistle politics'

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the elections were the first to take place since a review looked into the issue of child sexual exploitation (CSE) in the borough.

It said the review found no evidence of a cover-up, but stated some young girls had been failed by the council and police, which had led to campaigning in some wards being focused on CSE.

Ms Chadderton said that campaigning had become "toxic" and "leaflet after leaflet" was put out, which refered to her as a "groomer" and a "paedo protector".

She said the leaflets had "absolutely nothing policy-wise to say" and the only things they included were "conspiracy theory" statements about CSE and unfounded allegations that she was "hiding grooming gangs".

"We had a report that said in black and white there was no cover-up," she said.

"But the problem is [that] in Oldham, it's become so toxic over the past few years and that is the reason that I'm the third leader that has lost, and why we do lose seats."

She said it was "difficult to counteract because some of it is a conspiracy theory", while other parts played on "dog whistle politics", some of which was "overtly racist".

"It's a kind of politics that appeals to the lowest common denominator," she said.

Labour secured control of Oldham Council with 32 seats, but saw their majority reduced from five to two, with 11 Conservatives, 10 Liberal Democrats, three Failsworth Independent Party members and four independents taking the other seats.

Ms Chadderton said while she had "loved being a councillor in Royton" and being leader had been her "dream job", she was undecided on whether she would consider follow Ms Shah's example, who was elected to St Mary's ward on 4 May, and stand again.

"For now, I'll probably get my life back," she said.

"I'll be happy not to be harassed on the internet non-stop."

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