I'm very resilient... but the reality is that I've received death threats

Ex-council leader reflects on 'difficult' role after she was ousted in local elections

- CHARLOTTE GREEN

A FORMER council leader says she needed a police escort on her way home after receiving death threats.

The election curse afflicting Oldham's leaders struck again last week, with Amanda Chadderton becoming the third Labour boss in three years to be unseated.

She came fourth in Royton South in the local elections, 21 votes short of third place which would have secured her one of the three seats for the ward in the chamber.

Ms Chadderton polled 923 votes, compared to first-place winner and political newindecomer, pendent Maggie with Hurley 1,039.

The former councillor, who was first elected in 2011 aged 25, took up the role of leader in May last after previous year, Aman incumbent Arooj Shah also lost her seat.

Ms Shah had taken over from Sean Fielding - who was defeated in the 2021 local elections - but has now returned to head up Oldham council after winning an internal Labour contest.

In the all-out election this year in which all 60 seats went to the polls, she stood in St Mary's ward and won first place, guaranteeing her four years in office, with 2,743 votes.