Raja Miah

Raja Miah (born May 1973) is a British charity worker, activist, and political figure.

Early life and career Miah was born and raised in Oldham. His parents were Bangladeshi Muslims who had emigrated from Sylhet.

Charity work In 1997, Miah co-founded Peacemaker, a charity aimed at promoting community cohesion. The charity received commendation from the Home Office for its efforts following the 2001 Oldham riots.

In the 2004 New Year Honours, Miah was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to charity work.

He advised the Home Office and Greater Manchester Police on counterterrorism during this time.

In 2011, Peacemaker closed due to financial difficulties linked to the austerity measures. He opened two free schools in Greater Manchester: Collective Spirit in 2013 and Manchester Creative School in 2014. Miah served as chief executive officer of the academy trust overseeing both institutions. The development of Collective Spirit encountered opposition from local councillors.

In 2016, The Guardian reported that a firm owned by Miah had received £700,000 from the academy trust. Collective Spirit was placed in special measures by Ofsted after an inspection rated it 'inadequate' in all categories.

By 2018, both schools were closed by the Department for Education amid concerns over educational standards, safety, and financial debts. The exam board OCR accused one of the schools of malpractice.

In 2019, local MP Jim McMahon called for an investigation into concerns regarding the schools. That year, the Education and Skills Funding Agency found that the trust's chairman, Alun Morgan, had violated regulations and raised questions about his connections to Miah.

Miah lodged a complaint with the Independent Press Standards Organisation regarding three articles in the Manchester Evening News, which was not upheld.

Activism and politics

Campaign against grooming gangs In late 2019, Miah began alleging corruption within Oldham Council and claimed that local Labour Party politicians had covered up grooming gangs in the area. He specifically accused former council leader and MP Jim McMahon, Chief Executive Carolyn Wilkins, Deputy Leader Arooj Shah, and Council Leader Sean Fielding of involvement in such cover-ups. McMahon described these allegations as defamatory.

In 2021, Miah was associated with the Failsworth Independent Party and Proud of Oldham and Saddleworth. During the 2021 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council elections, Labour council leader Sean Fielding lost his seat to Conservative candidate Mark Wilkinson by a margin of 191 votes. The Times reported that Miah had disseminated false information on Facebook about Asian cartels intimidating voters at polling stations, as part of wider social media activity involving far-right elements.

In June 2022, Jim McMahon accused Miah in Parliament of promoting conspiracy theories for financial and political benefit. McMahon also noted that Miah had overseen serious safeguarding failures at the Collective Spirit free school.

Legal issues and political involvement In July 2021, Miah was arrested by Greater Manchester Police and charged with malicious communications and harassment. He had appeared in the magistrates' court twelve times by February 2024. In May 2024, a judge dismissed the harassment charge after prosecutors offered no evidence.

During the 2024 United Kingdom general election, Miah stood as an independent candidate in Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton, receiving 6.4% of the vote and placing fifth.

In January 2025, Elon Musk advocated for an inquiry into grooming gangs in Oldham, citing posts shared from Miah on X (Twitter).

In December 2025, the Mayor of Greater Manchester addressed posts by Miah on Twitter, stating that Miah "regularly makes misleading allegations".

Personal life Miah has a daughter.