Hollinwood’s latest councillor has been given a place back on the council’s cabinet after her by-election victory final week.
Cllr Hannah Roberts misplaced her seat in Royton North back in the native elections simply six months in the past in May.
She had served the ward for eight years and was the housing cabinet member at the time of her election defeat.
A by-election in Hollinwood was then referred to as following the demise of former council chief, Cllr Jean Stretton, who died aged 64 in September.
READ > Tributes to former Oldham Council leader Cllr Jean Stretton
After votes from the by-election have been counted at the Queen Elizabeth Hall final Thursday night time, Cllr Roberts was introduced the winner in a slim victory.
She polled 718 votes, beating the Conservative Party’s Kamran Ghafoor – who acquired 639 – by 79 votes.
READ > Former council cabinet member wins by-election
READ > By-election winner to ‘work hard’ and ‘support people’ through ‘hard winter’
On Monday, Cllr Roberts, who has additionally served as the deputy cabinet member for early years, was named the cabinet member for neighbourhoods, a place beforehand held by Cllr Stretton.
She mentioned: “I’m happy to be returning to the cabinet, and to the council chamber, even whether it is in the saddest of circumstances following the demise of our pal and colleague Jean.
“I am absolutely committed to delivering the best possible services for the people of Oldham and will be working hard with my fellow members to get on with the job.”
Council chief, Amanda Chadderton, who has additionally held the place of cabinet member for neighbourhoods, added: “I’m delighted to have Hannah back on the council, and more than happy that she’s agreed to go back in the cabinet.
“Her experience, knowledge and attention to detail makes her a great fit for the neighbourhoods portfolio, and she’ll be a real asset to our borough.”
Despite the by-election end result, Hollinwood, together with the different 59 council seats, can be contested once more subsequent May as a part of the “all out” elections in the borough.
Meanwhile, the borough’s Conservatives group mentioned the end result confirmed how a lot progress the celebration has made in Hollinwood.
Tory Cllr Dave Arnott mentioned: “This was a really robust efficiency from our Conservative candidate, properly revered native businessman Kamran Ghafoor.
“He ought to be very pleased with the approach he performed the marketing campaign that noticed Labours majority fall from 558 in May 2021 to simply 79 on Thursday.
“Kamran linked with the residents in Hollinwood, who had real considerations round native points.
“Hollinwood is historically a Labour voting ward, however the celebration needed to work extraordinarily laborious to carry on to what ought to have been a protected seat.”
Fellow Conservative Cllr Lewis Quigg, who acted as Mr Ghafoor’s agent, added: “We are understandably disillusioned with the end result, which was a lot nearer than many, exterior of the Conservative celebration had predicted, nevertheless it was an excellent efficiency by our candidate and our marketing campaign staff.”
