A Saddleworth councillor has called for a fresh start for Oldham, urging collaboration and ambition after the council leader announced she is stepping down. Max Woodvine, who represents Saddleworth South and leads the Conservative group, believes the way forward must leave Labour rule behind.

Councillor Arooj Shah’s resignation follows local election results that left the council with no overall control. Labour now holds 18 seats, Reform UK has 16, and The Oldham Group has 10. The Conservatives have four representatives, who may hold the balance of power in deciding the next leader. Labour has ruled out any working agreement with groups it says have run divisive and toxic campaigns.

Councillor Woodvine said Labour’s decline in Oldham has been coming for years. He pointed to the fall from 45 councillors in the Labour group to just 18, and criticised what he called poor financial management. He said the council has run its reserves down and faces a budget gap in the tens of millions of pounds. “That isn’t good governance,” he said.

He added that high levels of borrowing have led to rising loan and interest repayments, which take money away from frontline services. “That has resulted in cuts to services that make the most difference to our residents’ daily lives,” he said.

Woodvine also criticised the outgoing leader directly, saying she “bunkered down in her bombproof office, only emerging to unveil the various vanity projects in the town centre.” He felt the Labour group had sidelined opposition councillors and ignored their contributions in full council meetings.

The first meeting of Oldham Council after the elections is due on Wednesday, 20 May. It is expected to include discussions on who should become the new leader. The Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, and independent councillors are likely to be central to any agreement.

For Woodvine, the moment calls for change. “Oldham needs collaboration, ambition and a future without Labour rule,” he said. He believes the current situation offers a chance for a different kind of politics in the borough, one that listens to residents and focuses on practical improvements.