THE DALE BLUES – OPINION | M. B. SHAW WITH JONTY HALL
Why Council Leader Neal Emmott Must Be Big and Bold to Regain Public Trust in Rochdale
Rochdale is a borough with a proud industrial past, a working-class heart, and the potential to be one of the North’s genuine comeback stories. Yet right now, public trust in local leadership sits at a worrying low. Ask residents in Middleton, Heywood, Milnrow, or the town centre itself, and you will hear the same refrain: “We don’t feel listened to.” That sentiment—quiet at first—has become a rumble across the borough.
Council Leader Neal Emmott now stands at a crossroads. He can continue the cautious, bureaucratic path that has defined too much of Rochdale’s recent governance… or he can take decisive, transparent, and imaginative steps to reset the compact between the Council and the people it serves.
If Rochdale is to recover its image—locally, nationally, and in the eyes of investors—then Emmott must be both big and bold. And crucially, he must start now.
The Borough’s Reputation Has Taken Too Many Hits
It’s no secret that Rochdale’s public perception has been battered. From high-profile governance controversies to poor handling of community issues, and from economic stagnation to accusations of institutional indifference—Rochdale has become a byword for dysfunction in the minds of too many.
That image is not fair to the many hardworking people, departments, and community leaders who try to do right every day.
But fairness and perception are not the same thing.
A leader’s job is not only to manage reality—it is to reshape it.Be Bold in Transparency
Residents are tired of closed-door decision-making. They want honesty, openness, and accountability. Emmott must:
Publish clear, plain-English updates on decisions affecting communities
Take ownership when things go wrong
Invite scrutiny rather than avoid it
Transparency rebuilds trust more effectively than PR ever could.
- Be Big Enough to Break with Old Habits
Rochdale’s governance has suffered from entrenched patterns—favouritism, slow responses, questionable processes, and an overreliance on the same inner circle. If Emmott wants a new start, he must dismantle those habits.
That means:
New advisory voices
Fresh leadership at middle levels
External review panels on sensitive matters
Community-led oversight
Being “big” in political leadership means being willing to challenge your own structures.
- Be Bold in Economic Vision
Rochdale cannot talk its way out of its economic challenges. It needs action:
A credible inward investment plan
A modernised town centre offering more than pound shops and boarded windows
A youth-first culture of sport, enterprise, and education (not endless antisocial behaviour headlines)
A borough-wide strategy that recognises geographical inequality and corrects it
Rochdale’s young people need opportunity. Businesses need a reason to stay. Families need a reason to believe again.
Leadership requires imagination—not just management.
- Be Big Enough to Admit Past Failures
The borough has been damaged not just by external crises, but by internal missteps. Residents respect humility more than spin. Emmott would be wise to acknowledge:
Where the Council has fallen short
Where communities were ignored
Where safeguarding, transparency, and fairness have not met the expected standard
This is not weakness—it is political courage.
- Be Bold in Restoring Unity
Rochdale has become a fractured borough. Territorial rivalries, tension between communities, and an absence of shared purpose have created division where collaboration is needed.
A strong leader must rise above this and communicate a unified, inclusive message:
One Borough. One Future. No Exceptions.
That means working across communities without fear or favour—building cohesion rather than leaving parallel lives to fester.
The Moment Is Now
Neal Emmott has a chance—possibly his last—to reset his image and the borough’s. Leadership is not about surviving scandals; it’s about rising above them with vision and integrity.
Rochdale deserves better than muddling along.
It deserves leadership that is:
Brave
Visible
Honest
Forward-thinking
Rooted in the people
If Emmott takes that road, he may yet restore Rochdale’s credibility, repair its bruised reputation, and earn back the trust that has slowly slipped away.
If he doesn’t?
The borough will simply continue its downward drift—and the public will look elsewhere for leadership.
THE DALE BLUES
Straight talk for a borough that needs it.