People of Oldham will be waking up to news that ROBERT BARNES and his small team of Conservatives from Chadderton South have defeated the combined might of 3 Labour Party MPs and the machinery of the High Command of the Labour Party. AROOJ SHAH is now former leader of Oldham Council.
The Labour Party also took heavy blows in Saddleworth West & Lees (Lib Dem), Failsworth East & Failsworth West (FIP), Royton North (Conservative) and the Cartel stronghold of Coldhurst went Independent. It could have been a far worse night as they narrowly held on to Royton South and St James from the Conservatives GARY TARBUCK & TOM LORD after fringe independents including Proud of Oldham & Saddleworth split the vote and helped rescue the Labour Party.
In other wards, the Labour Party cleaned up both seats in Medlock Vale where the Cartel reestablished their power base with over 2000 votes! Proud of Oldham & Saddleworth (POAS) candidate MARK BIRCHALL came a distant 4th behind KAISER REHMAN who finished 3rd. Labour had also won before the polling stations had opened in the Cartel stronghold of Alexandra and Werneth and also won easily in Hollinwood and Waterhead.
MARK HINCE was narrowly defeated in Shaw by just 102 votes. It was a similar story for PAUL SHILTON who came up short in Saddleworth West & Lees by 277 votes. POAS's other candidates in the other wards where they stood just made up the numbers. Though POAS have now failed for a second year running to take any seats, its founder PAUL ERROCK was posting photographs of himself with winning candidates from other parties trying to align himself with others whose hard work had paid off.
Labour had started the night with a majority of 10. Their majority this morning has been reduced to just 5. If it hadn't been for the vote split by POAS in St James and other independents in Royton South, we would have had the majority down to 3. No matter, the take away is that JIM McMAHON's Labour Party is now looking for their 3rd leader in just a year.
Which brings me to the now former leader of Oldham Council. In predictable fashion, AROOJ SHAH, has resorted to claiming her defeat was a consequence of a smear campaign involving racism and misogyny.
The Council is now made up of;
35 Labour
9 Lib Dem
9 Conservative
5 FIP
2 Independents
The stage is now set for the Labour Party to lose their control of Oldham Council at the 'all out' 2023 elections. 5 down. 5 to go.
Do Not Fear Them. Do Not Fear Any of Them
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