Oldham councillor Marie Bashforth quits Labour before election
Oldham councillor Marie Bashforth has defected from Labour and will sit as an independent for the remaining eight weeks of her term. She was deselected as Labour's candidate for Royton South in the May 7 local election, with Kathryn England selected instead. Bashforth, who has represented Royton South since 2013, said she felt 'stabbed in the back' and believes her challenges to leadership on CSE issues and Places for Everyone contributed to her deselection. She failed to attend council meetings for several months after the decision and was warned she could lose her seat. The council's political makeup will now include 26 Labour councillors, nine Liberal Democrats, nine Oldham Group independents, six Conservatives, three Reform UK members, and six area-specific independents.