Time to pull together, says new council leader Allen Brett

Councillor Allen Brett - the new leader of the Council

Councillor Allen Brett, the 16th leader of Rochdale Borough Council since the authority was formed in 1973, has called for unity and asked people to “pull together”.

A retired teacher who started his career in teaching in 1969, having qualified at what is now Hopwood Hall College, he spent two years teaching in Uganda and ended his secondary school teaching career in Middleton before going on to youth work and lecturing at universities.

A member of the Labour Party for the last 40 years, he was first elected to public office on the former Greater Manchester Council and has held most senior posts on Rochdale Council, including leader in 2005.

Speaking after his first council meeting as the new leader, Councillor Brett said: “It is a great honour to be the new leader of Rochdale Borough Council.

"I would like to thank all of the colleagues who supported me but also reach out to those that did not. It is important that we all now work together to ensure that the great work being done by this council continues - and that our borough continues to improve and that we stake a claim as one of the key areas in Greater Manchester.

“We have made significant improvements in education, regeneration and services for people who need looking after but I want to drive standards up even further. We need to do more to tackle poverty pay, end the scandal of homelessness and look after the most vulnerable in our borough.”

A new cabinet team (nine councillors, who along with the leader, are responsible for strategic decisions) has also been appointed. There are four new appointments, two of whom are the youngest ever cabinet members in Rochdale.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/114710/new-council-cabinet

Councillor Brett added: “We are giving two of our brightest young councillors an opportunity to come in and be part of the cabinet. I am not sure how many other councils have cabinets that include two people in their mid-twenties but it is something I am proud to say that we have now.”