Following a recent Group meeting in May, the Oldham Borough Liberal Democrat Group has announced their appointment, unanimously and un-opposed, of Councillor Howard Sykes MBE as their Leader and Councillor Chris Gloster as their Deputy Leader.
Councillor Sykes has also announced the appointment of his Shadow Cabinet Team for 2020/21.
Councillor Howard Sykes said: “I am delighted and honoured that Chris and I have once again received the unanimous support of our party colleagues. The Liberal Democrats remain the only effective opposition holding Labour to account on Oldham Council.”
“Citizens can rest assured that the Oldham Liberal Democrats will continue to oppose Labour’s waste, inefficiency and centralisation tendancies and we will always speak up for fair treatment for our residents and for value-for-money services and common sense solutions”. He added. “As ever, the Liberal Democrats remain the only party holding Labour to account on Oldham Council, and we shall continue to take that responsibility seriously.”
Shadow Cabinet Members:
| Councillor | Portfolio |
| Howard Sykes | Economy and Skills (Opposition Leader) HR & Corporate Reform |
| Garth Harkness | Education |
| Hazel Gloster | Children and Young People |
| Louie Hamblett | Health and Social Care |
| Dave Murphy | Neighbourhoods and Culture |
| Diane Williamson | Covid 19 Recovery |
| Sam Al-Hamdani | Housing & Homelessness |
| Chris Gloster | Finance and Low Carbon (Opposition Deputy Leader) |
Group Officers:
| Councillor | Role |
| Howard Sykes | Group Leader |
| Chris Gloster | Deputy Group Leader |
| Dave Murphy | Group Chair |
| Diane Williamson | Group Secretary |
| Hazel Gloster | Group Treasurer |
| Garth Harkness | Group Political Secretary |
Official Spokespersons / Lead Members on Boards and Committees:
| Councillor | Board / Committee |
| Chris Gloster | Audit Committee |
| Garth Harkness | Performance and Value for Money Committee |
| Diane Williamson | Overview and Scrutiny Board |
| Hazel Gloster | Planning Committee |
| Chris Gloster | Licensing Committee |
| Diane Williamson | Standards Committee |
| Dave Murphy | Petitions and Traffic Regulation Orders |
District Leads:
| Name of Councillor | District |
| Diane Williamson | Lead, Shaw and Crompton |
| Sam Al-Hamdani | Official Spokesperson, Saddleworth and Lees |