Can peace break out in Oldham's 'divisive' politics?

Opposition parties in Oldham are predicting they can further loosen Labour's grip on a council where public meetings increasingly descend into shouting matches - after a string of incidents have led to a fractious time for politics in the town.

A row over the situation in Gaza saw a budget meeting abandoned last year while some politicians have had cars set on fire.

Now Reform UK and the recently-formed Oldham Group in particular say they are confident of taking seats in the forthcoming local elections, insisting residents are desperate for change.

However, Labour council leader Arooj Shah said her administration was focused on "delivery".

Labour is keen to highlight the recent opening of a £40 million market and event space as evidence of progress in Oldham.

The borough also recently secured more than £30 million from Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham's Good Growth Fund to build 200 new homes in the town centre, while a £70 million project to create new sports facilities at Oldham Athletic is under way.

But there remains a feeling of toxicity in the area's politics, despite these investments.

Shah said she was targeted with a death threat in recent months while councillors from different parties regularly face personal abuse online.

She said: "In terms of the toxicity and how we've got there, the reality is some people don't like progress and delivery so that makes them really angry, but they also don't have an alternative vision."

She added: "I think now you can see that visible delivery.

"It's all around us from where we stand today and that's the most important thing."

Labour lost its majority in Oldham at the most recent elections in 2024 and currently holds 27 seats, with the Liberal Democrats and the Oldham Group on nine.

The Conservatives have six, Reform UK are on three and smaller parties and independents hold six between them.

The Oldham Group party was created in 2024 and got its councillors elected largely after campaigning on Gaza, but it is now trying to broaden its appeal.

Leader Kamron Ghafoor has denied accusations that his party is the source of much of the tension.

A budget meeting in September 2025 was abandoned after councillors from the Oldham Group and Labour refused to stop shouting at each other.

He said: "There's a lot of divisive politics going on.

"When people call us liars to our face, even though we're not lying and we're the ones that are standing up for the people of Gaza, and yet people might say these things don't matter and [we should] concentrate on Oldham.

"All our pledges this year are all based around Oldham."

Reform UK has its three councillors in Oldham due to defections and will stand candidates in every ward in the borough for the first time at the forthcoming poll.

Reform group leader Lewis Quigg left the Conservatives in 2024 after he and a Conservative colleague squared up to each other during a meeting and the police were called.

He claims the public are frustrated and angry with Labour.

He said: "We can talk about the greenbelt, we can talk about child sexual exploitation, these are massive issues that are impacting Oldham and these things haven't worked out because the administration of this town, which is Labour, has failed it for so long.

"And what you're seeing at the council chamber is just the frustration boiling up because nothing's being done."

The Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, said the council's overall strategy is one reason for disenchantment in the wider borough.

Leader Howard Sykes, who is stepping down as a councillor after nearly 40 years, said: "Everything seems to be focused on Oldham town centre.

"I'm not saying something shouldn't be, but we need to spread the jam a bit and that's a very consistent message we get from the public.

"It's something we are campaigning on that we will spend more money in the districts and if that means less in Oldham town centre so be it."

Conservative group leader Max Woodvine echoed that sentiment.

He said: "I think people are fed up with politics in Oldham because despite all of the promotion from the council, people don't really see change.

"The priority has been capital projects which make little difference to people who live in the districts."

Meanwhile, the Green Party has never had a councillor in Oldham but the party has a candidate in every ward for first time.

A spokesperson said: "Every single voter is going to have hope on the ballot paper. Hope that we can tackle unaffordable rents, hope that we can lower the cost-of-living, and hope that we can tackle the climate crisis."

With a hyper local parties and independents also chasing votes, it seems the complexity of Oldham's politics looks set to continue, across the 7 May elections and beyond.

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