Oldham calls for crackdown on badly behaved councillors

Oldham’s town hall is pushing for stricter consequences for unruly councillors to help restore faith in democracy. Councillors Holly Harrison and Graham Shuttleworth are leading the charge after it was revealed that Oldham has one of the highest rates of standards complaints in Greater Manchester, with 22 ongoing investigations from 2025. One recent case involved Councillor Mark Kenyon, who was found guilty of breaching conduct by ‘spying’ on a meeting. Despite the £10k investigation, the committee deemed that he had ‘suffered enough’ and imposed no further penalties, sparking concerns about councillors judging their own conduct. Labour’s Umar Nasheen argued for tougher penalties, mentioning the disservice to residents. Meanwhile, a new government consultation points to the need for meaningful sanctions for serious breaches, with proposals for suspensions, allowances withholding, and even disqualification. Harrison and Shuttleworth are set to present a motion at an upcoming council meeting, urging the Chief Executive to advocate for legislative changes to improve the handling of misconduct.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News