Leaderless council agrees to temporary power share

A council which has been without a leader since May this year has agreed to a temporary power-sharing arrangement, following months of political deadlock.

Oldham Council has been unable to form an administration after no political group secured enough support in local elections to assume control of the authority.

Senior officers had warned the continued impasse threatened the council's ability to function, with the council relying on emergency powers - a situation chief executive Shelley Kipling had described as "precarious and unprecedented".

Under the plan, responsibilities that would normally fall to the council leader and cabinet will be shared between the authority's four largest groups.

At a full council meeting on Wednesday, councillors approved the temporary governance arrangement, designed to allow the authority to function while negotiations over council leadership continue.

The four parties with the largest representation on the council will undertake separate areas of responsibility.

The Liberal Democrats will oversee resources, Labour will take responsibility for the place portfolio - handling matters such as planning and regeneration - Reform UK will oversee children and young people, and the Oldham Group will lead on health and adult care.

Those appointed to the roles will not have executive decision-making powers, but will provide political oversight of decisions made by officers.

The proposals were backed by 46 councillors; four abstained and one voted against.

A separate report approved allowances for some of the positions created under the interim arrangements. The recommendations came from the council's independent remuneration panel.

Addressing councillors before the vote, Ms Kipling stressed the arrangement was not a coalition or political deal.

"This report is not an attempt to appoint an administration," she said.

"It is simply a series of recommendations that seeks to protect council services and decision-making during this period of uncertainty."

She warned that continued instability could result in intervention from central government.

"The alternative to our endeavour to keeping council services running is intervention by the government," she said.

"Intervention is not a neutral act."

The agreement follows weeks of political stalemate, with councillors repeatedly failing to elect a leader despite meetings and negotiations between parties.

The lack of resolution led to government officials becoming involved in talks, with the aim of finding a way forward.

The temporary structure will remain in place while councillors continue efforts to form a longer-term administration.

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