Ex-council boss and teacher slammed for role in protest as parents lose trust in school

Tuesday, 26 August 2025 22:49

Colin Lambert with a GMP Police officer at the end of the protest. (Credit: Roch Valley Radio)

A teacher at a Heywood school, and former leader of Rochdale Council, has been accused of stoking racial tension and marching alongside far-right activists, sparking outrage among parents who say they no longer feel their children are safe in his care.

Colin Lambert, now employed at Edgar Wood Academy and a member of the Reform Party, is at the centre of a storm after allegations he played a leading role in a protest held in Heywood on Saturday 9 August.

Video and photographs captured by Roch Valley Radio photographer and journalists show Mr Lambert delivering a speech at the launch of the protest before leading the march alongside Reform councillor Jordan Tarrant-Short.

The demonstration, which began in Heywood Memorial Gardens, later reached the office of Heywood and Middleton North MP Elsie Blundell, where chants of “Tommy Robinson” and “Get them out” were heard on the way.

A foster carer wrote to school leaders at Edgar Wood Academy raising “deep concern” over what she described as “irresponsible, divisive and apparently racist actions” by Mr Lambert. She said she and her husband no longer consider the school a safe or suitable option for the children in their care.

Since then, multiple parents of ethnic backgrounds have spoken to Roch Valley Radio to share their fears. One parent said, “My son is supposed to start at Edgar Wood next year. How can I trust that a teacher involved in something like this will treat him with respect and fairness?”

Another parent added: “We work hard to teach our kids about kindness and equality, and yet a teacher leading far-right chants sends the opposite message. It terrifies me. We are now frantically trying to find another school, but with no luck.”

Mr Lambert, who previously served as leader of Rochdale Council, has long been a divisive figure in local politics. Speaking to local councillors, they accuse him of opportunism and say his association with figures such as Parents Against Grooming, raises further alarm about the circles in which he moves.

Parents are now demanding answers from the school and the Altus Education Partnership, which oversees Edgar Wood Academy. Questions being asked include whether Mr Lambert’s political affiliations were known during his recruitment, and whether policies are in place to prevent individuals with extremist sympathies from working with young people.

Roch Valley Radio contacted Edgar Wood Academy and the Altus Education Partnership to offer a right to reply. However, the trust behind the academy declined to comment.