Kamran Ghafoor is the Councillor for Hollinwood and the founder and Leader of the Oldham Group. He was elected in May 2023 as a Conservative, resigned and set up the Oldham Group with Abdul Wahid and Muhammad Irfan in late 2023. Since September 2026 he has been Oldham Council’s Lead Member for Health and Adult Care. He is the Oldham Group’s campaigner for St Mary’s ward in 2027.
31 entries from 4 May 2023 – 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 Kamran belonged to at the time.
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Full Council appointed him interim Lead Member for Health and Adult Care while the Council works towards appointing a Leader and Cabinet. The role gives political oversight of adult social care, public health and support for vulnerable residents.
Source: Oldham Council news, 17 Sep 2026
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With the Council still unable to elect a Leader, proposed, with Cllr Sam Al-Hamdani, that the Leader’s post rotate between the political groups, with a rotating Deputy Leader and a politically balanced Cabinet. The amendment was lost.
Source: Supplementary agenda pack & minutes, 20 Aug 2026
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Cllr Sam Al-Hamdani moved, and Cllr Max Woodvine seconded, an amendment that Kamran be appointed Leader of the Council; it was lost. Kamran moved nominations for Cllr Al-Hamdani and Cllr Kenyon, and proposals to change procedure rules to allow other ways of electing a Leader. All were lost.
Source: Council minutes, 15 Jul 2026
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Moved nominations for Cllr Max Woodvine as Mayor and Cllr Zaheer Ali as Deputy Mayor. He also moved amendments nominating Cllr Mark Kenyon and then Cllr Shoab Akhtar as Leader of the Council. Separately, Cllr Kenyon nominated Kamran as Leader. All were lost and the Leader item was adjourned.
Source: Council minutes, 20 May 2026 (with adjourned sessions)
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Seconded Cllr Wahid’s amendment to the Youth Council’s motion on the under-16 social media ban. It asked for a report to scrutiny within six months on online safety, online exploitation risks and support for parents and carers. The amendment was lost; the Youth Council motion was carried. Kamran declared a personal interest, as his son Hassan co-presented the Youth Council motion.
Source: Council minutes, 25 Mar 2026
Raised unsafe and inconsiderate parking that was blocking other road users, sometimes including emergency vehicles, and asked what the administration would do. He also asked whether it had a plan to tackle deprivation, given that over £1 billion had been invested in town-centre regeneration since 2019.
Source: Council minutes, 25 Mar 2026
Moved Amendment 1, seconded by Cllr Wahid, to the Oldham Group motion on free school travel for children in temporary accommodation. The amendment sent the proposal to Cabinet for an options report, in line with budget and constitutional rules. It was carried and the amended motion passed. Cabinet is to report within 12 weeks on options, including free school travel regardless of mileage.
Source: Council minutes, 17 Sep 2025 (reconvened 12 Nov 2025)
Moved an amendment, seconded by Cllr Wahid, to the Labour motion ‘Recognising Palestine and the famine in Gaza’. As well as recognition of a Palestinian state, it called for explicit recognition of genocide, a suspension of arms sales and support for international criminal accountability. The debate resumed on 12 November 2025. Council refused to let the Group revise or withdraw its amendment, which then fell (0 for, 30 against, 20 abstentions). The Labour motion was carried.
Source: Council minutes, 17 Sep 2025 (reconvened 12 Nov 2025)
The Oldham Group Party was entered on the Electoral Commission’s Great Britain register (PP17644). Kamran Ghafoor is listed as Leader and Treasurer.
Source: Electoral Commission register
At Annual Council, moved an amendment, seconded by Cllr Wahid, to remove Cllr Arooj Shah as Leader with immediate effect and nominate himself as Leader. It was lost by 28 votes to 31.
Source: Council minutes, 21 May 2025
Annual Council noted the Oldham Group’s Shadow Cabinet alongside the Liberal Democrats’. Kamran was shadow Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Growth, with Cllr Abdul Wahid as Deputy Group Leader.
Source: Council minutes, 21 May 2025
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Moved a motion, seconded by Cllr Wahid, asking for a cost-benefit study of a free three-item bulky waste collection. It noted that residents paid £23 for up to three items and that the Council had dealt with 5,672 fly-tipping incidents in a year, costing over £600,000. The motion was lost.
Source: Council minutes, 9 Apr 2025
Council was told that Cllr Graham Sheldon had joined the Oldham Group on 27 March 2025, having sat as an Independent since leaving the Conservative Group in January. Kamran addressed Council to welcome him.
Source: Council minutes, 9 Apr 2025
At an extraordinary meeting on child sexual exploitation, seconded the Oldham Group amendment moved by Cllr Wahid. It called for a national statutory inquiry, statutory powers for Oldham’s own inquiry, and survivor-led, independent terms of reference. Parts were taken into a composite amendment.
Source: Council minutes, 12 Feb 2025 (Extraordinary Council)
Spoke in support of the motion asking the Government to remove Oldham from the ‘Places for Everyone’ development plan. It was carried by 31 votes to 28.
Source: Council minutes, 12 Feb 2025 (Extraordinary Council, 6.30pm)
Asked whether Oldham’s inquiry into child sexual exploitation would be judge-led and have full legal powers. He also asked whether it would cover the police, social services, council departments, politicians, children’s homes and safeguarding teams, look at both past and recent cases, and have terms of reference agreed across the chamber.
Source: Council minutes, 18 Dec 2024 (reconvened 20 Jan 2025)
Asked the Cabinet Member, Cllr Abdul Jabbar, to clarify what the Council had committed financially for work Muse carries out on its behalf, and whether the related legal advice could be published.
Source: Council minutes, 18 Dec 2024 (reconvened 20 Jan 2025)
Put four questions to the Leader on the Council’s 15-year town-centre agreement with developer Muse. Had funding been secured to start building? Was the Council underwriting any costs? Who was providing the funding, and how much was the Council paying Muse? He also asked whether a site had been chosen for the outdoor market.
Source: Council minutes, 6 Nov 2024
Asked the Leader why the Marlborough Centre (the former Pakistani Community Centre) was closing, whether the tendering had been done properly, and whether residents’ views had been considered. The Chief Executive was asked to write to all councillors to clarify the points raised.
Source: Council minutes, 11 Sep 2024
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Moved the motion, seconded by Cllr Wahid, to keep all Oldham cemeteries open until 10pm, seven days a week, with one fixed burial fee so families avoid extra out-of-hours charges. Council instead passed the administration’s amendment by 30 votes to 27. It agreed a pilot of longer cemetery hours and a fee based on the pilot.
Source: Council minutes, 10 Jul 2024
Council was told that Councillors Shoab Akhtar and Nyla Ibrahim had joined the Oldham Group, bringing it to eight members.
Source: Council minutes, 10 Jul 2024
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At Annual Council, seconded Cllr Lewis Quigg’s amendment to remove Cllr Arooj Shah as Leader and elect Cllr Howard Sykes. It was lost by 28 votes to 29, with 3 abstentions.
Source: Council minutes, 22 May 2024
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Moved ‘The Conflict in Gaza’, seconded by Cllr Abdul Wahid, asking Oldham to add its voice to calls for an immediate ceasefire and for aid to reach people who are starving. Council passed it as amended. The Chief Executive was told to write to the Prime Minister, the UN Secretary-General and the Foreign and Shadow Foreign Secretaries, including Oldham’s support for the UN’s call for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid.
Source: Council minutes, 13 Mar 2024
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Moved an amendment to the administration’s motion, seconded by Cllr Wahid. It condemned the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023 and all acts of collective punishment, and called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. It also backed a two-state solution, recognising Palestinian statehood as key to lasting peace. It was lost by 18 votes to 32. The motion, as amended by the Liberal Democrats, was carried 48–2.
Source: Council minutes, 13 Mar 2024
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Asked whether the Council had a plan for its reserves and for reducing its overall debts, and whether local businesses could help with temporary housing. The Leader disputed that reserves were as low as suggested.
Source: Council minutes, 13 Mar 2024
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At Budget Council he was one of the councillors who spoke against the administration’s budget motion.
Source: Council minutes, 28 Feb 2024 (Budget)
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After resigning from the Conservative Party, Kamran set up the Oldham Group with Abdul Wahid and Muhammad Irfan, then fellow Hollinwood councillors. Full Council was formally notified of the new group on 13 December 2023, with Cllr Ghafoor as Leader and Cllr Wahid as Deputy Leader.
Source: Council minutes, 13 Dec 2023 (Review of Political Balance)
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The BBC reported that the Conservative Party had suspended him and fellow Hollinwood councillors Muhammad Irfan and Abdul Wahid after they joined the pro-Palestine march in London on 11 November, where thousands called for a ceasefire in Gaza. The party said it was investigating.
Source: BBC News, 24 Nov 2023
Moved the motion, seconded by Cllr Pam Byrne, asking the Chief Executive to find council land that could be donated to the Oldham Muslim Cemetery Committee, with no other cost to the Council. The motion warned that Chadderton cemetery had around five years left before reaching capacity. It was lost (8 for, 39 against, 9 abstentions).
Source: Council minutes, 12 Jul 2023
At Annual Council the Conservative Group named him its Deputy Group Leader and Shadow Cabinet Member for Business, Employment and Enterprise.
Source: Council minutes, 24 May 2023
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Elected in Oldham’s all-out council election as a Conservative, topping the poll in Hollinwood with 1,085 votes (43.2%). All three Hollinwood seats were won by the Conservatives.
Source: 2023 Oldham Council election results (Wikipedia, citing Oldham Council)
Proposed that the Leader’s post rotate between the political groups for the rest of the year, with a rotating Deputy Leader and a politically balanced Cabinet, to end the deadlock.
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.
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.
Annual Council was adjourned and reconvened on 15 June and 1 July 2026.
Proposed adding a report to scrutiny within six months on online safety, online exploitation risks and support for parents and carers.
Oldham Group amendment to the administration’s motion, setting out stronger language on civilian deaths and famine in Gaza.
Debate began on 17 September 2025; the vote was taken when the meeting reconvened on 12 November 2025.
Amendment to remove Cllr Arooj Shah as Leader of the Council and elect Cllr Kamran Ghafoor.
Asked for an urgent cost-benefit study of bringing back a free three-item bulky waste collection, noting 5,672 fly-tipping incidents costing over £600,000 in a year.
Oldham Group amendment calling for a national statutory inquiry and statutory powers for Oldham’s local inquiry, with survivor-led, independent terms of reference. Parts were merged into a composite amendment moved by Cllr Al-Hamdani and seconded by Cllr Wahid.
Called for longer cemetery opening hours (up to 10pm, seven days a week), one fixed burial fee and later booking and paperwork cut-offs so families can arrange same-day burials.
The published agenda listed this motion as to be moved by Cllr Zaheer Ali and seconded by Cllr Aisha Kouser. The minutes record that on the night it was moved by Cllr Ghafoor and seconded by Cllr Wahid.
Amendment to remove Cllr Arooj Shah as Leader of the Council and elect Cllr Howard Sykes.
Oldham Group amendment noting the scale of civilian deaths in Gaza, condemning the 7 October attacks and collective punishment, and calling for a ceasefire and respect for international law.
Asked the Council to add Oldham’s voice to calls for an immediate ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian aid and accountability through the International Court of Justice.
Asked the Chief Executive to identify a parcel of council land that could be donated to the Oldham Muslim Cemetery Committee for a Muslim graveyard. Apart from the land, the Council would not pay for its development or upkeep, and it would relieve pressure on existing cemeteries.
Moved before the Oldham Group was set up (Cllr Ghafoor was then a Conservative councillor)
Timestamps point to the chapter of the council meeting where the item was debated, or to the full meeting where no chapter is available.
Source: Oldham Council councillor page, checked 22 October 2026.
