Neil Wilby Media

Not too many articles on this Neil Wilby Media website are written in the first person but this one would be difficult, if not impossible, to compose otherwise.

Wednesday 10th July, 2024 was already a significant day in my diary, even before the tactically-bereft England football team undeservedly reached the semi-finals of the Euro 2024 competition.

Still suffering a prolonged bout of illness that started with dental surgery on successive days in May, and a resultant infection in the wounds progressed excruciatingly to ear, sinus, chest and lungs, I had two key appointments in the diary: The first Full Council meeting of the municipal year in Oldham, listed to start at 6pm, and an on-line Branch committee meeting of the National Union of Journalists, with a 7.30pm start.

An afternoon meeting in Sheffield with an important contact over-ran, which made the decision, made largely on preserving the good health of others, not to attend the council meeting in person, even more sensible as I sat, motionless, in rush-hour traffic.

During the previous day, I had alerted one of our Branch Co-Chairs that I would only be able to dip in and out of the NUJ meeting in a non-speaking capacity because of the council meeting. Not a unique situation, by any means, given the demands of our vocation. News is now, very much, a 24 hour business.

Earlier in the day, I had picked up messages that suggested that the council meeting might be foreshortened. This was a concern given the business outlined in the published Agenda which included Opposition motions on two topics in which I have been particularly invested: An inquiry into child sexual exploitation in the Borough, for which there were two separate proposals; and another regarding Places for Everyone, the Greater Manchester Mayor’s plan to concrete over significant tracts of Oldham’s green belt.

There was no inkling given by Oldham Council’s communications team to the public, or myself as a representative of the press, that the meeting was going to be truncated. Their website and various and noisy social media channels were all silent on the topic. Presumably, in line with their well-rehearsed media strategy (read more here).

But, sure enough, shortly after Full Council opened with the usual prayers, elected Members were asked to vote on changes to the Agenda, particularly in respect of Cabinet and Leader’s Questions. It was proposed that, rather than the usual spirited verbal exchanges in this important section of council business, written answers would be given, instead.

At this point, I have to declare an interest: Cllr Howard Sykes OBE is a person and politician I rate. Based on intermittent dealings with him over the past four years, he is approachable, open within the confines of his role, and eminently sensible. His common touch and ready wit are not disadvantages, either.

Moreover, Howard has demonstrated, in every way possible, his commitment to public service in a councillor career, Parish, Town and Borough, spanning over 30 years.

As Leader of the Oldham Liberal Democrats, and a former Council Leader, he also happens to be an accomplished public speaker – and this is what he had to say about the meeting being cut short:

“Mr Mayor. I think the public outside this chamber would be absolutely furious that we are even discussing this.

“Why is it that Members of the Labour Group, and some of the so-called Independents, think they are so much better than ordinary people?

“We have work to do on behalf of the people who elected us. It is completely unacceptable to ignore that work so that councillors can leave early to watch the football.

“Don’t get me wrong, I would love to go home and watch the match.

“But the fact is we only have six Full Council meetings a year.

“That’s six opportunities to hold those in power to account.

“I’m sorry… but people expect us to do our job.

“Most people in Oldham don’t have the luxury of clocking off early just because they want to.

“I see no reason for councillors to behave any differently and frankly, if I was a cynic, I would say the Labour Party is hiding behind the football, and certainly off-side, if it carries the vote on this issue.

“And it would be shameful if any so-called Independent councillors allowed the administration to hide from public scrutiny”.

To be honest, neither I nor most other people (or politicians) could have framed the response to the motion any better: Oldham Council is a local authority whose reputation, under a 13 year reign of Labour rule, is absolutely trashed in the local, regional and national media. Yet its motley collection of artful chancers, self-publicists, time-servers, self-servers, u-turners and apparatchiks promoted way beyond their ability (you know who you are) want to go home early to watch football on the telly.

For their part, two opposition groups who were voted into power on zealous anti-Labour tickets, the Failsworth Independent Party (FIP) and The Independent Group (TIG) voted with the administration.

As one prominent councillor told me after the meeting: ‘Independents my a**e, New Labour, that’s what we are now confronted with’.

Good luck to those Labour (and FIP and TIG) councillors at the next local elections. Fortunately for you, the polls do not open until May, 2026.

For my part, the guillotine which fell in Oldham’s civic chamber at 7.30pm (I’m told, second hand, by a well placed source, the cut-off was not mentioned in the Mayor’s briefing, beforehand), meant I could join my NUJ colleagues for our Branch meeting and listen afterwards to our guest speaker, the brilliant Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, exiled Secretary General of the Somali Journalists Syndicate who is nearing completion of a Fellowship assignment at the University Of York.

Although slated to finish at 9pm, we carried on until 9.20pm to complete the Agenda items after Abdalle’s speech and a Q and A session.

Like Oldham Council, our Branch meets bi-monthly and we have a lot to get through. The football fans amongst us, and I had a stake in that one of my team’s players, Burnley’s Wout Weghorst, was playing for the Netherlands, were still able to see Ollie Watkins‘ remarkable late goal that took England into Sunday’s final.

With the added glow of knowing that we had served our own constituents, the wider body of journalists in Leeds and West Yorkshire, to the best of our ability.

Which, as it happens, is precisely what we were elected to do.

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Page last updated: Friday 12th July, 2024 at 0815 hours

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