A FORMER Tameside councillor has been given a new junior role in Andy Burnham’s government.
Oliver Ryan, who is now the MP for Burnley, has been appointed as the new Parliamentary Private Secretary to Hamish Falconer.
The 31-year-old, who previously represented Audenshaw ward on Tameside Council, will work closely with Mr Falconer – Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and European Relations, jointly in the Cabinet Office and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Ryan was previously a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Health and Social Secretary James Murray. He was appointed in May after Mr Murray succeeded Wes Streeting following his resignation from one of the biggest Cabinet jobs with the largest public service departmental budgets.
“So pleased and proud to be appointed as Hamish’s PPS,” said Ryan on X (formerly Twitter). “His is such a critical job at such a crucial time for Europe and our nation – onwards!”
The role of PPS is considered the most junior ministerial rank in government and acts as a key link between ministers and backbench MPs.
Ryan was elected as MP for Burnley, Padiham and Brierfield at the General Election in July 2024, marking his first time in Parliament.
Oliver’s time in Tameside
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.