Councillors Sara Rowbotham and Daalat Ali appointed deputy leaders of Rochdale Borough Council

Councillor Sara Rowbotham and Councillor Daalat Ali

Councillors Sara Rowbotham and Daalat Ali have been appointed as deputy leaders of Rochdale Borough Council.

Leader of the council, Councillor Allen Brett, said: “Councillors Rowbotham and Ali are two very good people who have done a very good job on my cabinet.

"Sara will be co-ordinating health issues, and Daalat will be keeping in with me and liaising with the other councillors.”

Councillor Ali, Cabinet Member for Planning & Development, said: “I am absolutely delighted and I endeavour to justify my colleagues’ confidence in me.

“I love being a councillor.

"I have lived in Rochdale for 47 years and everything I have is because of Rochdale. It is time to give back and that is why I became a councillor, to give back to Rochdale.

"I did not expect this when I became a councillor. I am absolutely gobsmacked for my colleagues to have put me in this position.”

Councillor Rowbotham, Cabinet Member for Health & Wellbeing, had not responded to an invitation to comment at the time of publication.