A FORMER Tameside councillor has been given a new role in the health department of the government.
Oliver Ryan, who is now the MP for Burnley, has been appointed as the new Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Health and Social Care Secretary.
The 31-year-old, who previously represented Audenshaw ward on Tameside Council, will work closely with new Health Secretary James Murray and ministers within the Department for Health and Social Care.
Murray – the MP for Ealing North in London since 2019 – was recently appointed to oversee one of the biggest Cabinet jobs with the largest public service departmental budgets following the resignation of Wes Streeting.
Ryan’s new role, meanwhile, of Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is considered the most junior ministerial rank in government and acts as a key link between ministers and backbench MPs.
Reacting to the appointment, he said: “I’ll always be a strong voice for our area, but I’m looking forward to supporting the Government as we continue delivering on our promise of real change and improving public services.”
He added: “I’m excited to work more closely with the team and help continue delivering the change people across Burnley and the country deserve.”
Ryan was elected as MP for Burnley, Padiham and Brierfield at the General Election in July 2024, marking his first time in Parliament.
Originally from Ashton-under-Lyne, he first entered politics at the age of 19 after joining the Labour Party when he was 15.
During his time on Tameside Council, Ryan held two executive cabinet roles, overseeing Children’s Social Care Services before later taking responsibility for Regeneration and Finance.
As The Correspondent first revealed in 2022, Ryan stepped back from his frontline council role following the local elections as ally Brenda Warrington faced a leadership challenge from Gerald Cooney.
After retaining his Audenshaw seat by 342 votes in the May 2022 elections, Ryan – whose mother is Droylsden East councillor Laura Boyle – was later selected as Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Burnley, Padiham and Brierfield.
Ryan was suspended from the Labour Party in February 2025 over his membership of a WhatsApp group involving Labour MPs and councillors which contained offensive messages.
At the time, he apologised and said the comments shared in the group, named Trigger Me Timbers, had been “completely unacceptable” and that he regretted “not speaking out at the time”.
Messages reported from the group allegedly showed Ryan mocking a Labour MP over his sexuality. He had the Labour whip restored in September 2025.