Career
A cotton operative himself, Oldfield served as Secretary of the Cotton Trades and Labour Council and President of the Cotton Spinners" Association. He was a Manchester City Councillor 1928-1945 and Alderman 1945-1961. The Labour Agent for Gorton, he was selected to fight the Manchester constituency in a wartime by-election in 1942, following the elevation of William Wedgwood Benn to the peerage.
He was elected unopposed and held the seat until 1955.
