Councillor comes clean

The ruling Labour Party on Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, earlier this week, ‘administratively suspended’ one of its elected Members but declined to name him in their press output.

It can be exclusively revealed here on Neil Wilby Media that the subject councillor is Graham Shuttleworth (pictured above right), who represents the Chadderton South ward. He says:

“In order to end speculation in the local press and on social media, it is right that I identify myself as the Labour councillor administratively suspended.

“The issue concerns interaction with a fellow Labour activist during the heat of what was a very tense election campaign in Chadderton South last May.

“I had a disagreement with a member of staff from the Labour Party and which led to a verbal altercation. As a result of this, the individual has made a formal complaint to the national Party and I have been suspended during investigation. All parties to the complaint have given their version of events.

“It is surprising and disappointing, in all the circumstances, that it has led to a formal complaint and, even more so, a suspension.

“I will, of course, co-operate fully with the ongoing process and hope it will be brought to a speedy conclusion and a satisfactory resolution.

“Most importantly, I will continue to diligently serve my ward constituents, and the wider Borough, as I have done over the past eleven years”.

The complainant, Tony Short, Oldham Labour’s Local Organiser, said it would be inappropriate to comment on a live internal investigation.

Cllr Amanda Chadderton, Oldham Council’s Leader, was approached for comment. The email was not even acknowledged, setting a poor example to other councillors.

Cllr Shuttleworth also emphatically ruled himself out as the male Oldham councillor arrested on 7th September, 2022. The identity of alleged perpetrator remains undisclosed although his name is quite widely known across the Borough.

Page last updated Wednesday 26th October, 2022 at 1740hrs

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