A political row has broken out over the Rochdale Diversity Awards after a councillor from the Workers Party of Britain accused organisers and speakers of politicising the event, prompting rebuttals from local Labour representatives.
Councillor Farooq Ahmed, who represents the Workers Party on Rochdale Borough Council, has come under fire after publicly criticising the recent Rochdale Diversity Awards. In a Facebook post, he claimed the event had been “disgracefully turned into a stage for political point-scoring and scaremongering”, alleging that speakers used the platform to spread fear and division.
The Diversity Awards, organised annually by the Kashmiri Youth Project (KYP), celebrate contributions to inclusion and community cohesion across Rochdale. Councillor Ahmed did not attend the event but commented afterwards based on reports and feedback from others.
His remarks quickly drew responses from senior figures who had spoken at the event, including Council Leader Councillor Neil Emmott and Rochdale MP Paul Waugh. Both defended the tone and content of their speeches, stating that they had focused on celebrating the borough’s diversity and challenging the rise of far-right rhetoric.
Councillor Emmott said his address had praised Rochdale’s long-standing openness to people from around the world. He added: “Our diversity is under threat from hate marches, racist and Islamophobic groups, and politicians who dismiss equality as ‘woke’.”
MP Paul Waugh, who also spoke at the event, described Rochdale’s multiculturalism as “our superpower” and warned against political narratives that exploit division. He drew comparisons with recent remarks made by national politicians such as Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin and Conservative MP Robert Jenrick, both of whom have been accused of fuelling cultural tensions.
Councillor Ahmed, in turn, has defended his position, insisting his criticism was not aimed at diversity itself but at what he views as the politicisation of a community event.
“I don’t believe anyone should be using a platform meant to bring people together to instead deliver what are essentially political campaign speeches,” he said. “That’s not what the Diversity Awards should be about.”
Deputy Council Leader Daalat Ali responded by saying it was important to speak out against rising hate crimes and reassure communities feeling vulnerable. “If Councillor Ahmed had attended, he would have seen that the event recognised people working hard to make our borough fairer and more united,” he said.
KYP, the charity behind the event, has not issued a formal response to the public comments. The organisation is known for promoting community cohesion across Rochdale and has hosted the annual awards for several years without incident.
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