Former Labour councillor, Cllr Shamim 'Rosie' Abdullah has joined the Conservative Group on Bolton Council. Cllr Abdullah, who represents Rumworth ward, left the Labour party early this year due to "lack of of consultation from Bolton Labour's leadership" and the "little democracy for backbench Labour members."
Under the Conservatives, Bolton Council has transformed its operations from one of backroom deals to one of openness and transparency for all members of the council.
Rumworth is currently facing a critical by-election, set for Thursday 15th September, where Cllr Abdullah has been supporting the Conservative candidate, Ayyub (Chota) Patel, in his campaign to serve the people of Rumworth as their local councillor.
Speaking of her decision to join Bolton Conservatives, Cllr Shamim Abdullah, said:
After a period of reflection I have decided today to join the Bolton Conservative Group on Bolton Council.
I am passionate about the area I represent Rumworth and the wider borough of Bolton.
I have seen how hard Bolton Conservatives have been working to get the town moving and improve areas like Rumworth and I would like to join them in that campaign and whilst I might not agree with everything they do nationally I know locally they are a great team.
Bolton Conservatives are a diverse group of dedicated people genuinely determined to make a difference and I am happy join Martyn Cox and his team in trying to make our area a better place to live, work and study.
Welcoming Cllr Abdullah to the Group, Cllr Martyn Cox, Leader of Bolton Conservatives, said:
I’m delighted that Rosie has joined our group.
Cllr Abdullah is highly respected on the council as an able and dedicated councillor who is a huge asset to Rumworth and the people she supports, and we are very proud to have her as part of our diverse team.
Bolton Conservatives are determined to offer the people of Bolton a real alternative to Labour.
We have now seen defections of councillors from the Labour Party, Horwich and Blackrod First and the Liberal Democrats to Bolton Conservatives.
We are humbled by this support as rededicate ourselves to fighting for communities across Bolton and in regenerating the town.
