Abuse made me more determined, Oldham's returning leader says

Ms Shah says she is "Oldham born and bred and my passion just never went"

Anyone who has received death threats and online abuse could be forgiven for deciding a life in the public eye was not for them.

However, Oldham's returning council leader Arooj Shah says she is more determined than ever to have a positive impact.

In May 2021, Councillor Shah became Oldham's first Muslim female leader, but she lost her seat a year later.

She was re-elected on 4 May, after a year in the wilderness, and the Labour politician is back in charge of one of Greater Manchester's most challenging boroughs.

"It's absolutely amazing," she says.

"Almost like I never left, but I'm really delighted to be back."

She has returned to politics despite a relentless campaign against her which saw her car fire bombed outside her home.

In her year away, the online abuse continued.

"That's always unpleasant and it's always hurtful and it's always upsetting for you and the people around you, the people that care about you," she says.

"But I'm Oldham born and bred and my passion just never went.

"In fact, the horrible smear campaign last year and the horrendous time I had made me even more determined that you don't allow a vocal minority to affect the change you want to bring in improving people's lives."

'Do your best'

Politics in the town has been pretty toxic for a few years and much of the anger has been triggered by unfounded claims on a cover up of child sexual exploitation.

Amanda Chadderton, who took over from Ms Shah, became the third leader in succession to be voted out by the public at this month's local elections after anonymous leaflets calling her a paedophile protector were posted where she was standing.

An independent review into the claims found there had been no cover up by the council but some young girls had been failed and sexually abused.

Is she sure that is not still happening now?

"You can never reassure people that's not happening," she says.

"All you can do is do your best to make sure that those victims, wherever they are, receive the support that they need and my empathy has always been the victims and the survivors.

"The perpetrators deserve the most severe punishment and we will do everything that we can, along with our stakeholders at GMP, to make sure they get what they deserve."

'Work that bit harder'

Ms Shah has not only faced claims about the abuse.

Another line of attack by online critics has been to claim she has links to convicted criminals.

In particular, it has been claimed she is linked to a man who was jailed for being a getaway driver for the notorious police murderer Dale Cregan.

Ms Shah does not deny those family links and acknowledges that it damages her reputation.

"Of course it does, I get that completely and I get people's concerns but like I've always said, I want to be judged by my own actions and my own conduct," she says.

"I'm not responsible for people, but at the same time, rehabilitation is the law of this land.

"I think a society is stronger when that happens and for me, doing what ultimately is right to do is probably the most difficult to do.

"You can't forget people that you've grown up with [or] family associations."

She says that their ties can only make her more empathetic to the people she serves.

"I'm re-elected in a community where opportunities aren't the same as for everyone else and you have to work that bit harder to make sure they're on the right path and aren't criminalised," she says.

"That's something that I'm really passionate about doing."

'Always difficult'

This is a second chance at the leader's job for Ms Shah and she acknowledges the town's residents are increasingly disappointed with the performance of the local authority.

The Labour party has lost 13 councillors at the last three elections and is holding on to power with a majority of just two.

She says the job is "always difficult, because there's a dark cloud over Oldham".

"That's because you've had 13 years of austerity and... people feel a deep sense of loss of the services that they were so used to.

"The national narrative is to set neighbour against neighbour and pit people up against each other.

"I just think it's so important to make sure that we do what we can to deliver [our plans] and help people understand that the fundamental morals and principles we have as a Labour-run council [are] to improve people's lives."