Neil Wilby Media

At a meeting of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council‘s Appointment Committee yesterday (21st October, 2024) the bizarre arrangement to allow the Council’s chief executive, Harry Catherall, to be seconded to neighbouring Tameside Council was voted through (read more here). He will be present for one day each week at Oldham fulfilling his principal role as ‘stooge’ to Labour’s Council Leader, Cllr Arooj Shah.

His replacement is set to be the present assistant chief executive, Shelley Kipling, another Arooj acolyte. Her grip on the administration now being almost absolute with another recent controversial appointment, Interim Borough Solicitor, Alex Bougatef, in hot water over faking his LinkedIn profile (read more here), who is also part of the Shah, Catherall, Kipling cronies group. Each routinely covering the others’ mediocrity and misdemeanours as Oldham maintains its reputation as one of the worst run councils in the country.

An Extraordinary General Meeting of Oldham Council will be held at the Civic Centre on Thusday 24th October, 2024 to vote on the arrangement. Certain to be confirmed as Liberal Democrat Leader, Cllr Howard Sykes OBE, surprisingly voted for the new arrangements. Enquiries have revealed that the Conservatives and The Oldham Group voted against.

A reliable source at the Civic Centre told Neil Wilby Media: “With Shelley, it was a case of picking the best of a poor bunch, the two deputy chief executives [Emma Barton and Mike Barker] were plainly not good enough for the job. 

“Harry’s secondment was a ‘done deal’. There appears to have been some horse-trading going on behind the scenes.”

Shelley Kipling, a former press officer and friend, supporter of Cllr Shah’s special political adviser (SPAD), Imran Ali (better known as ‘Irish Imy’) is best known for devising Oldham’s infamous media strategy (read here).

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Page last updated: Tuesday 22nd October, 2024 at 0815 hours

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Picture credit: Oldham Council

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