Oldham Council is in political crisis after a five-hour meeting failed to elect a new mayor, leaving the borough without a leader, cabinet, or essential committee appointments. The deadlock has drawn sharp criticism from councillors, with Reform leader Lewis Quigg calling the situation a "shambles."

The standoff follows the local elections earlier this month, in which Labour lost eight seats. While Labour remains the largest single party, it cannot form an administration alone. Both Labour and Reform UK have ruled out leading the council, sparking a battle over who should take charge. After the elections, Labour leader Councillor Arooj Shah acknowledged the results showed support for other parties, adding: "It is now for those parties to put forward proposals for how they intend to run Oldham Council."

At the meeting on May 20, only Councillor Kamran Ghafoor, leader of the Oldham Group, was nominated for the leadership. However, Labour had tabled an amendment opposing his nomination, and councillors never got to vote on it. Within minutes, three nominations for the ceremonial mayor role all failed to secure enough support, legally halting the meeting. Without a mayor, the council could not proceed.

Councillors were sent out for hours of discussions. A different voting system was proposed but not agreed upon. The meeting was eventually postponed by a majority decision, but Reform opposed this move. Reform leader Councillor Lewis Quigg expressed frustration: "The public will look at this today and think we are a shambles and they rightly should knock our heads together on this." He claimed Reform had put forward solutions that were not supported, and urged councillors to take votes from the floor to decide on a leader.

Councillor Ghafoor's nomination was backed by the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, and some independents. They agreed on a set of priorities including fair funding across the borough, increased scrutiny and transparency, a review of council finances, and full cooperation with the national inquiry into child sexual exploitation. Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani described it as "a loose agreement on a series of priorities" aimed at preventing government intervention. He said: "It is an absolute abdication of responsibility. It is [Labour and Reform's] responsibility to ensure there is a stable administration in Oldham."

The council now has no mayor, leader, cabinet, or appointments to key committees like planning and licensing, which it must legally carry out. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has been approached for guidance on what could happen if the deadlock continues into the coming weeks.

This political paralysis has direct implications for Oldham residents, as decisions on local services, planning, and community projects are stalled. The council's inability to form an administration raises questions about the future governance of the borough.

Oldham.News will continue to follow this story and provide updates as more information becomes available.