Councillor Aisha Kouser
Councillor

Aisha Kouser

St Mary's ward
  • Councillor for St Mary's
  • Deputy Leader of the Oldham Group
  • Interim Deputy Lead Member for Health and Adult Care

About

Aisha Kouser is a Councillor for St Mary’s ward and Deputy Leader of the Oldham Group. Since September 2026 she has been the Council’s interim Deputy Lead Member for Health and Adult Care.

Work & achievements

10 entries from 10 Jul 2024 – 16 Sep 2026, drawn from Oldham Council minutes and papers, council recordings and news reports. Each one links to its source. The tag shows which group Aisha belonged to at the time.

10 results

  1. 2026
  2. Oldham GroupHealth & social care

    Interim Deputy Lead Member for Health and Adult Care

    Appointed interim Deputy Lead Member for Health and Adult Care alongside Cllr Kamran Ghafoor.

    Source: Oldham Council news, 17 Sep 2026

  3. Oldham GroupLeadership & accountability

    Seconded nominations and procedure changes to elect a Leader

    Seconded Cllr Ghafoor’s nominations of Cllr Sam Al-Hamdani and then Cllr Mark Kenyon as Leader of the Council. She also seconded his proposals to suspend procedure rules so that more Deputy Mayor and Leader nominations could be made, and to allow other ways of electing a Leader. All were lost and the item was adjourned.

    Source: Council minutes, 15 Jul 2026 (items 10–11, pp.3–4)

    Watch the meeting (full recording, opens YouTube in a new tab)

  4. Oldham GroupElections & party

    Paid tribute to Cllr Abdul Wahid

    At the reconvened Annual Council, paid tribute to the work of Cllr Abdul Wahid during his time on the Council.

    Source: Council minutes, 20 May 2026 with adjourned sessions (item 8, p.5)

    Watch the meeting (full recording, opens YouTube in a new tab)

  5. Oldham GroupLeadership & accountability

    Seconded civic and leadership nominations at Annual Council 2026

    At Annual Council, adjourned to 15 June and 1 July 2026, seconded nominations of Cllr Helen Bishop as Deputy Mayor (moved first by Cllr Maggie Hurley, then by Cllr Hughes) and of Cllr Zaheer Ali (moved by Cllr Ghafoor). She also seconded Cllr Ghafoor’s amendments nominating Cllr Mark Kenyon and then Cllr Shoab Akhtar as Leader of the Council. All were lost. An amendment she was due to second, moved by Cllr Sam Al-Hamdani to elect Cllr Ghafoor as Leader, was withdrawn.

    Source: Council minutes, 20 May 2026 with adjourned sessions (items 4, 10, 21, 22; pp.3–10)

    Watch the meeting (full recording, opens YouTube in a new tab)

  6. Oldham GroupStreets & environment

    Seconded the Oldham Group amendment on fly-tipping enforcement

    Seconded Cllr Wahid’s amendment to the Labour motion ‘Tackling Fly-Tipping, Waste Crime and Litter in Oldham’. It asked the Council to publish quarterly ward-by-ward fly-tipping and litter enforcement figures, set a 24-hour standard for removing dangerous fly-tips, report the yearly clean-up cost and the amount recovered from offenders, and draw up action plans for repeat hotspots. The amendment was lost; the motion was carried.

    Source: Council minutes, 25 Mar 2026 (item 11, p.14)

    Watch from 2:02:25 (opens YouTube in a new tab)

  7. 2025
  8. Oldham GroupHealth & social care

    Oldham Group Shadow Cabinet: Adults, Health and Wellbeing

    Annual Council noted the Oldham Group’s Shadow Cabinet, in which Aisha holds the Adults, Health and Wellbeing portfolio.

    Source: Council minutes, 21 May 2025 (item 11, p.8)

    Watch the meeting (full recording, opens YouTube in a new tab)

  9. Oldham GroupEnvironment & ethical investment

    Won Council backing for ethical pension investment

    Moved the motion calling on the Greater Manchester Pension Fund to divest from fossil fuels and arms. Council agreed an amended motion asking GMPF to develop a divestment plan within 12 months and to report annually.

    Source: Council minutes, 18 Dec 2024 (reconvened 20 Jan 2025), p.32

    Watch from 3:03:26 (opens YouTube in a new tab)

  10. 2024
  11. Oldham GroupCommunity & cemeteries

    Questioned the tendering of the former Marlborough Community Centre

    Asked where the Council was with the tendering process for the former Marlborough Community Centre (formerly the Pakistan Community Centre), and whether details shared on social media by Cllr Aftab Hussain should have been made public early. The Leader, Cllr Arooj Shah, undertook to write to Cllrs Kouser and Ghafoor to clarify the position.

    Source: Council minutes, 6 Nov 2024 (item 9, p.22)

  12. Oldham GroupStreets & environment

    Asked why Waterloo Bridge repairs were taking so long

    Asked the Cabinet Member for Transport and Highways why repairs to Waterloo Bridge, Oldham were taking so long. Cllr Chris Goodwin thanked her for the question and undertook to send her a detailed written answer.

    Source: Council minutes, 11 Sep 2024 (item 10, p.23)

    Watch from 50:44 (opens YouTube in a new tab)

  13. Oldham GroupCommunity & cemeteries

    Named on the agenda to second the burial times motion

    The published Council agenda listed the Oldham Group motion ‘Extend Burial Times in Oldham Cemeteries’ as to be moved by Cllr Zaheer Ali and seconded by Cllr Kouser. On the night, the minutes record that Cllr Ghafoor moved it and Cllr Wahid seconded it. Council passed the administration’s amendment by 30 votes to 27, agreeing a pilot of longer cemetery hours and a fee based on the pilot.

    Source: Council agenda (p.7) and minutes (p.12), 10 Jul 2024

    Watch from 1:26:17 (opens YouTube in a new tab)

Full Council, 15 Jul 2026AmendmentNot agreed

Leader of the Council – nominations and procedure (July 2026)

Moved amendments nominating Cllr Sam Al-Hamdani and then Cllr Mark Kenyon as Leader, and proposals to change procedure rules to allow other ways of electing a Leader and further nominations.

Outcome: All lost; the item was adjourned.
Annual Council, 20 May 2026 (with adjourned sessions)AmendmentNot agreed

Leader of the Council – nominations (Annual Council 2026)

With no group holding a majority, the Oldham Group moved amendments nominating Cllr Mark Kenyon and then Cllr Shoab Akhtar as Leader of the Council.

Outcome: Both lost; the item was adjourned to 15 July 2026.

Annual Council was adjourned and reconvened on 15 June and 1 July 2026.

Full Council, 25 Mar 2026AmendmentNot agreed

Tackling Fly-Tipping, Waste Crime and Litter – Oldham Group amendment

Moved by Cllr Abdul WahidSeconded by Cllr Aisha Kouser

Proposed publishing quarterly ward-by-ward fly-tipping enforcement figures, a 24-hour removal standard for dangerous fly-tips, annual cost reporting and hotspot action plans.

Outcome: Amendment lost; motion carried.
Full Council, 18 Dec 2024 (reconvened 20 Jan 2025)MotionCarried

Ethical Investment: Divestment from Fossil Fuels and Arms by the Greater Manchester Pension Fund

Asked the Council to urge the Greater Manchester Pension Fund to stop investing in fossil fuels and arms companies, report transparently and reinvest ethically.

Outcome: Carried as amended (the amendment passed 52–5). Council asked GMPF to develop a divestment plan within 12 months and report annually.

In the Chamber

All videos

Timestamps point to the chapter of the council meeting where the item was debated, or to the full meeting where no chapter is available.

Council roles

Committees

  • Adults Social Care and Health Scrutiny Board (Substitute)
  • Commons Registration Committee
  • Council
  • Highway Regulation Committee (Substitute)
  • Leaders’ Consultative Meeting
  • Place, Economic Growth and Environment Scrutiny Board

Outside bodies

  • Greater Manchester Health Scrutiny Committee
  • Oldham Play Action Group
  • Positive Steps Board

Election results listed by Oldham Council: 4 May 2023, 2 May 2024.

Source: Oldham Council councillor page, checked 22 October 2026.