“A Word in Your Ear” from Mr Perrin.
An “open” letter from Mr Perrin to the Labour Party in Thurrock.
This letter is addressed specifically to the Chair of the Thurrock Labour Party and the Leader of Thurrock Borough Council Labour Group.
Dear Sirs,
I write with regard to the on-going saga concerning the conduct of Cllr Aaron Kiely which has been the subject of considerable adverse publicity in the local media and condemnation from fellow Councillors and members of the Public. Cllr John Kent, as Leader of the Labour Group, you recently stated that you “cannot defend the indefensible and that Mr Kiely is the subject of an “Inquiry” the findings of which will be made known shortly.” How long is “shortly”?
I remind you of Mr Kiely’s comments made to a journalist from the “Thurrock Gazette”, after his election, which were published in the Friday 6th May, 2011 edition.
New councillor Kiely, 22, who lives in the ward, described his delight and his commitment to the ward after hearing the result. He said;
“ I am ecstatic. I am really committed to the ward and I have done a lot of work in the community with voluntary groups”.
“ I am going to stand up for the community and the residents and get started on the issues which I know are going on in the area”.
“ This is the first time I have ever stood for council and we have worked so hard in the campaign”.
“ I went to school in the area and know it like the back of my hand. I will be doing everything in my power to help the community”.
“ I want to get out into all the community forums and help improve the lives of residents.”
Taking account of his conduct as a Councillor over the past nineteen months his comments are nothing more than brazen-faced deceit. He has rarely, if ever, attended his publicised “surgeries”. He is conspicuous by his absence from Council meetings, condescending to appear twice a year, for a couple of hours, in order to qualify for his £8,000 p.a. allowance and to add insult to injury he does not have the decency to tender his apologies for his absence. Again he has rarely, if ever, attended the South Ockendon Residents Association [SORA] meetings or ever attended a South Ockendon Street Representatives meeting.
I, along with many others, can only deduce that Mr Kiely’s real purpose for wanting to become a Councillor has very little to do with his sentiments expressed at the time of his election and a desire to “improve the lives of residents” but has more to do with enhancing his ambitions elsewhere and using his council allowance to finance them. Suffice to say that his campaign in 2011 was nothing more than a sham. He has cheated and deceived Thurrock Labour Party members, especially those who selected him and supported him as a candidate. He has brought into disrepute the role of a councillor and by association damaged the integrity of his fellow councillors. Most despicable of all is his contempt for the residents of South Ockendon especially those who believed in him, trusted him and voted for him.
I ask that you disassociate Mr Kiely from the Labour Group by withdrawing the Party “whip”, thereby making it clear that the Labour Party and the Labour Group are outraged by his conduct and condemn him for it. To the argument that the consequence of such action could cause the Labour Group to loose control of the Council as a result of losing Kiely’s vote, I can only reply that if he is never in attendance the matter of his vote is immaterial. It would also demonstrate that you recognise the interests of constituents should come before personal and Party political interests.
Mr Kiely could do the honourable thing by resigning thereby allowing a bye-election to be held but I doubt he will do so. Mr Kiely appears to lack any sense of honour, decency or integrity
The time has come to stop excusing the inexcusable and for both of you to firmly grasp the nettle and take positive action to call this impostor to account.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Peter Perrin.
Very well said Mr Perrin, this sham has gone on for far too long now with little or no action being taken by the Local Labour Party or the Leader of the Council, I very much doubt that any course of action will be taken against Mr Kiely for the reasons that you have highlighted in your letter, this would unbalance the current control of the council.
If you do get a response I hope that you will post it on here for all to see.
I second that Lambo.
Aaron has only got himself to blame. Labour have given him the benefit of the doubt but now is the time to end this charade.
Not the first time this has happened in the last twenty years. There is no way of removing a sitting Councilor unless he / she is in breach of the Council’s Code of Conduct or commits offences which disbars he / she under the various Local Govt acts and Election Statutes. Removing a Party whip or removing Membership would result in an Independent. Councillor. Resignation and end of term of office are the only way past Councillors have left. Political and public pressure had no effect on past members.
Asking the Labour party to do the reasonable sensible thing. Good luck with that one.
What Vince has said is very true but that does not mean that the Labour group cannot rid themselves of him. He can sit as an independant until he is booted out of office. He is using the Labour party.
Totall agree with Mr Perrin’s letter! Just a suggestion, but shouldn’t Cllr Kent or someone from Thurrock Labour, contact Diane Abbott MP, Cllr Kiely’s political idol, asking her to speak to her number 1 fan, to get his finger out and do his job as a councillor for the people of Ockendon.
Mr Perrin, you seem surprised that Cllr Kiely is deceitful, why? Unlike a lot of local councillors, he is a career politician like those who supposedly represent us in Parliament. They lie, cheat and smarm their way into positions of power so has Cllr Kiely. He’s just playing the politics game.
That said, however, your suggestion about withdrawing the party whip is worth Cllr Kent actioning seeing as how that’s the only course of action he can legally take to sort out the situation.
Well said and well written Mr.P.Perrin, its just another Labour Party mess up, god only knows how long the list is by now, I agree with you that they should withdraw the whip from him, and withdraw his allowances of £8000 should get this so called Cllr Kiely off his high horse, if VINCE63 is correct, then we are stuck with another labour has been, god only knows weve got a lot of them in the South Ockendon area, just ask the tenents in the Belhus ward.
Kepp up the good work, Peter.