Neil Wilby Media

Last Friday afternoon (22nd March, 2024) the founder and Leader of the Workers Party of Britain, George Galloway MP, announced the Party’s candidate in the constituency of Oldham East at the forthcoming general election (read here).

Shanaz Saddique confirmed the selection to her 8,600 followers on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) where her biography identifies her as “Muslim • Educationalist • Social & Political Activist • News & Social Affairs Analyst • TV Host”:

“I thank you George Galloway for having trust in my ability to ensure that the residents of Oldham East constituency are represented by a Parliamentarian that will listen and ensure the issues that matter to them are addressed.”

Ms Saddique, educated at Alder Grange School in Rawtenstall and with strong business and vocational ties to East Lancashire, is a former co-director of educational group, The Lincoln Group of Colleges, and an advisory support tutor at Accrington and Rossendale College.

She also served for six years as a Justice of the Peace on the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale bench.

In 2019, Ms Saddique formed a company, based at an address in Featherstall Road, Oldham, of which she was sole Director. UK24TV Ltd appeared not to trade and was struck off the Companies House register in November, 2021.

Her opponents, which will include the sitting MP, Debbie Abrahams, may point to a Preston Crown Court appearance in 2012 at which she was convicted of mortgage fraud.

Sentencing her to a Community Service Order, His Honour Judge Christopher Cornwall acknowledged her previously good character and concluded that her behaviour could be explained by an ‘acrimonious’ divorce after a 20-year marriage. She was aged 39 at the time of her arrest and had four children. HHJ Cornwall said the public interest would not be well served by jailing Shanaz Hussain, as she then was known.

In mitigation her counsel, Peter Birkett QC, said Shanaz may well have been able to gain a mortgage legitimately, but faced with bills she took a short cut and her reputation had been shattered.

He added: “Obviously she has fallen from a very considerable height and the conviction, which will be reported far and wide, will for her, be a huge punishment.”

An election victory in Oldham East, and seat in the next Parliament alongside George Galloway MP, would be a testament to her resilience and no small measure of talent.

Neil Wilby, the author of this article, says: “In the near four years I have covered the political scene in Oldham, as an accredited journalist with no Party allegiance, Debbie Abrahams has been found to be permanently opaque and disobliging. The constituents of Oldham East, quite frankly, deserve better. With her media savvy and rounded life experience, it is expected that, during election campaigning at least, Shanaz Saddique will bring a new level of transparency and a willingness to give straight answers to straight questions.”.

Page last updated: Monday 25th March, 2024 at 0905 hours

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Picture credit: ‘X’ (Twitter)

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