Amanda Chadderton

Amanda Chadderton
Leader of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
In office
25 May 2021 – 4 May 2023
Preceded byArooj Shah
Succeeded byArooj Shah
Member of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council for Royton South
In office
3 May 2012 – 4 May 2023
Personal details
Political partyLabour

Amanda Chadderton is an English Labour politician and former leader of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council.[1] She was leader between 2022 and 2023.

Biography

Chadderton has lived in Oldham for her whole life, aside from during three years spent at university.[2] She was first elected to the Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council in 2012, as the councillor for the Royton South ward. She became the deputy leader and cabinet member with responsibilities for neighbourhoods.[3] In 2017, she held the responsibility for education and early years and closed a failing free school.[4]

Chadderton was elected as council leader on 25 May 2022,[5] becoming the town's third leader in just over a year after her predecessor Arooj Shah lost her seat in that year's election after just one year in post.[6] Her two deputy leaders were Abdul Jabbar, who had responsibility for finance and low carbon, and Elaine Taylor, who had the responsibility for culture and leisure.[2]

Chadderton was Oldham's first openly gay council leader.[2][7] She was also Oldham's first sitting female councillor to have a baby while in office and raised awareness of the lack of parental leave being a barrier to women in local government.[8]

At the 2023 election Chadderton was defeated by independent candidate Maggie Hurley, becoming the third deposed leader in three sequential elections.[9][10] After being defeated, Chadderton claimed that this was "partly due to an unfounded conspiracy theory about child sexual exploitation" and suggestions that she was "hiding grooming gangs."[11][12]

References

  1. ^ "Oldham: Amanda Chadderton to become new council leader". BBC News. 10 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022. Ms Chadderton, who served as the council's deputy leader, was elected as the new Labour group leader on Monday. She will be formally appointed as council leader on 25 May.
  2. ^ a b c Green, Charlotte (26 May 2022). "New Oldham council boss is borough's first openly gay leader". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  3. ^ "Executive post Cabinet Member - Neighbourhoods". Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  4. ^ Slater, Chris; Williams, Jennifer (29 June 2017). "Failing free school to be closed down - with 210 pupils affected". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  5. ^ "'There is work to do – and I am ready to do it': Oldham council's leader-elect makes a vow to residents after landing role". Oldham Chronicle. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  6. ^ Statham, Nick (10 May 2022). "Former deputy to become new leader of Oldham council after shock election result". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Oldham's first openly gay council leader 'honoured' by role". BBC News. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  8. ^ "No parental leave 'a barrier' to local politics". BBC News. 8 September 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  9. ^ "Big Tory losses and another Oldham leader deposed: your essential local elections briefing". The Mill. 6 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  10. ^ Wilkinson, Damon; Green, Charlotte (5 May 2023). "Oldham council searching for fourth new leader in three years". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  11. ^ "Ousted Oldham Council leader says town's politics remain toxic". BBC News. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  12. ^ "How long shadow of grooming gang allegations changed Oldham's politics – and took down two leaders". The Oldham Times. 25 June 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2025.