YT did promise itself that it would not waste any more “ink” on the errant Ockendon councillor, Aaron Kiely but sometimes a headline is too good to waste.
Thurrock Tories,led by cllr Phil Anderson, once again asked the council leader, John Kent for an update on the investigation into the conduct of cllr Kiely.
The meeting began with no apology from councillor Kiely. However, the Thurrock Conservatives understood that the councillor for the Malvinas East was on National Union of Student duties at Strathclyde University.
Cllr Kent told the chamber that the investigation was still ongoing. He also pointed out to the poor attendance record (in committee) of a number of Tory councillors.
The exapserated leader of the Conservative group argued that this was a weak case and pledged that he would continue to ask questions of the investigation.
Good work Phil! Kent knows there is no investigation. He thinks people are stupid.
Councillor Kent should grow a pair, stop this sham of an inquiry, and expel him from the Labour Party for bringing his party into disrepute.
But Cllr Kent does find himself in the same position that Cllr Garry Hague was in when he was Leader of the Council. Do you chastise and punish errant Councillors and risk losing control (and the nice fat pay cheque that goes with the position) of the Council or do you sit on your hands and do nothing, allowing errant Councillors to quite frankly take the p**s out of the taxpayer and mumbling feeble excuses or do you take leadership and take decisive action.
I would question one thing though. Aaron started as a good, enthusiastic Councillor who appeared destined for greater things within Thurrock and probably nationally. What exactly happened between Aaron and Thurrock Labour Party to cause such a schism? Something must have caused him to completely abandon and turn his back on the ward he worked so hard to take control of.
Having worked with a number of Councillors over the years and being in their confidence I know full well what the public see isn’t necessarily what has really happened. I would envisage that he failed to get any support and help once elected from his fellow Councillors, perhaps his neighbouring Labour Councillors in Belhus gave him the cold shoulder? Did Thurrock Labour ensure that someone so young was given the full help, support and mentoring to enable him to be an effective ward Councillor? We will probably never know what the real story is here.
Only Cllr Aaron Kiely, Cllr John Kent and Thurrock Labour Party could answer this. But I just perceive there must be more to this story and why a Councillor has completely abandoned his ward and abandoned Thurrock Labour Party.
Meanwhile this situation is allowing Thurrock Conservatives to rightly exploit every opportunity and score political points highlighting the weakness of Cllr Kent and contempt of his elected position by Cllr Kiely. How soon before the Conservatives start handing out ‘Wanted’ posters to residents highlighting Cllr Kielys appalling attendance record and some of his more wayward remarks and the inaction of Thurrock Labour to discipline him?
The South Ockendon ward is a key battle ground. If Labour take and hold every seat then they will hold overall control of the Council. But this situation is providing valuable ammunition for the Conservatives come the next local elections and making it more and more difficult for Labour to be taken seriously amongst the local electorate.
Could Labour salvage the situation? Only if either Cllr Kiely comes back and fully throws himself into being a proactive ward Councillor to try and repair the damage he has caused or if Thurrock Labour fully sever their ties with Cllr Kiely and take decisive action to expel him.
Will either happen? I doubt it. And in a few month time, with yet more dithering from Cllr Kent, the Conservatives will once again score more political points and gain more damaging publicity for Labour because this situation will probably still be dragging on with no resolution.
I think Bernard87 has hit the nail squarely on the head, this so called investigation has been ongoing for quite a while now with no updates at all, it looks like Mr Kent is running scared to pursue this matter and is covering Mr Kiely’s contempt with a smoke screen.
The Labour Council and Party need to hang their heads in shame and this embarrassing situation and the longer this continues to go on unabated then they will lose even more face.
Mr Kent, start showing some leadership qualities and fast track this investigation and produce your findings and recommendations, also the local Labour Party need to make a statement, maybe ask PR Polly as she seems to like to spin things.
Ed’s comment was all you need to know on this subject really. He said “Do you chastise and punish errant Councillors and risk losing control (and the nice fat pay cheque that goes with the position) of the Council…” Power and Money, those are the two reasons Mr Kent has sat on his hands all this time.
In any event, it is doubtful that the majority of voters in the Ockendon ward that Kiely, ahem.. represents, are even aware of his failings. They will probably trot out and vote Labour/Conservative like always and, as ever, the winner will be decided by who chose to stay at home and watch TV on polling day instead of voting.
Has Aaron Kiely got John Kent by the Trossachs? Would appear so.
The Conservatives and the taxpayer can huff and puff as much as they like but as long as young Aaron turn up every six months he can continue to collect his taxpayer funded allowances and there is nothing any of us can do about it.
In the past I have commented on the disgraceful conduct of Cllr Aaron [wily] Kiely so I do not intend to waste any more time on Kiely, himself. I am now of the opinion this has become an issue concerning the leadership and integrity of Cllr John Kent, as Leader of the Labour Group and by default Leader of the Council. He has for months, when challenged by fellow Councillors, said that there is an on-going inquiry and at a meeting of the Full Council in November, 2012, stated the results of the inquiry would be made known “shortly”. Nearly six months have elapsed since that statement so I say yet again to Cllr Kent, just how long is “shortly”? I, for one, do not believe Cllr Kent regarding this so-called inquiry, it is just a tactic he is using to excuse his inactivity and to maintain the Labour Party’s hold on power within the Council. Sad to say that Ed’s comment above is true and the Government has recently made it even more difficult for members of the Public to hold Councillors to account. That said Cllr Kent could issue a statement publicly disassociating himself and the Labour Group from Cllr Kiely and applying for the Party “Whip” to be withdrawn thus demonstrating disapproval of the conduct of Kiely and that the local Labour Party is no longer prepared to support him. As to the comment “there is nothing any of us can do about it”, that is also true until Kiely’s term of office expires in May 2015. If Kiely ever again seeks political office in Thurrock I believe the people of Thurrock, in particulat those residents of South Ockendon who voted for him in 2010, will make it clear to him that they will not be fooled for a second time. As the saying goes “You can fool some of the people some of the time, you can fool some of the people all of the time, you cannot fool all of the people all of the time”.
Mike I thought you didn’t like witch hunts that’s why you won’t write articles regarding Redsell, yet you some how think its ok to witch hunt this Cllr who hasn’t had secret meetings with developers accused of stealing a picture from the council offices, and help promote illegal buildings, donations for her party group from a large company, she meets with and drink in a developers house a week before his application being dealt with and she supported it with out declaring she was a very very close friend Mike you are a hypocrite about witch hunts look how many you wrote on this man
Shelley:
Surely the whole point of the article is that there has been NO INVESTIGATION against this man, as opposed to numerous Police and council investigations into Cllr Redsell. If I am not mistaken Cllr Redsell was declared to have no case to answer to, Kiely has not even been the subject of an investigation by his own party let alone anyone elese
Dear chickenfeed I would beg to differ as an ex-member of Thurrock Council I requested a standard charge brought against Mrs Redsell, the whole process took eight months I supplied photographic evidence together with her original non-declaration, what it amounted to was both herself and the applicant who required planning permission for 24 flats were photographed together at his home address together drinking socially a week before the application, of which she did not declare, although legal services did not dispute the evidence I presented to them their decision was they could not further the complaint due to natural law
So as regards to this woman as long as the complaints procedure is in a house at Thurrock Council don’t waste your time
Shelley, you are kind of missing the point. Whilst your grievances against Mrs Redsell are well known, at least she bothers to represent her ward in the Council. Whether she does it badly or fantastically is neither here nor there. Mr Kiely chooses to represent his ward hardly at all, he is noticeable only by his absence and that is why he is, allegedly, under investigation. It’s not a witch hunt, it’s about getting to the bottom of why a Labour Cllr is happy to take money from Thurrock taxpayers for doing bugger all.
Gray64 the only thing Mrs Redsell represents is herself and as you quite rightly pointed out she is happy to make money from the taxpayers of Thurrock in more ways than one why else would she be sitting with an applicant a week before the matter was decided incidentally she voted for approval, and that is my point, there is no evidence of corruption involving Mr Kiely .
I asked Mike to publish all my factual evidence he’s reply was I am not interested in doing a witch hunt, which you would think sets some kind of president, obviously not regarding Mr Kiely
This is why I posted my comment, Mikes excuse
{Aaron Kiely but sometimes a headline is too good to waste.}
Hardly fair wouldn’t you say so
Shelley want was never investigated about the whole planning application was that three councillors allegedly were given use of the applicants holiday home in Lanzarote before this application was voted on – none of them declared this hospitality/free gift.
One Councillor didn’t sit on the planning committee.
One Councillor declared an interest and left the meeting when this application was discussed.
One Councillor remained and voted for the application.
Nobody has asked if this Councillor and the applicant were actually in a relationship.
Nobody asked If the applicant gave free use of his social club to the then chair of planning and a certain Councillors daughter.
Shelley for whatever reason everything has been swept under the carpet and whatever excuses have been given regarding removing pictures, handing out the contents of donated hampers from Labour Councillors to Conservative Councillors and Conservative activists, meeting developers etc etc have been accepted.
It is a reflection on the Conservative Party in Thurrock they are so happy to have such rotten apples in their ranks. In Politics it is easier to defend your corrupt colleague and ridicule and abuse their accusers than admit they are rotten to the core and lose face. Sometimes knowing that the corrupt colleague can drop other councillors in it for their equally corrupt behaviour is a compelling reason to publicly defend them. Not of course am I suggesting that this is the case here.
Talking of apparently dodgy planning issues – how is that footballs clubs plans to build a stadium on the Shell Club site and build a housing estate on the former grounds? Remind me which Labour Councillor is President of the club?
And are the Council employing Mickey Mouse to do their land valuation?
So Shelley is an ex-member of Thurrock Council? As a former public figure, what do you have to hide?
Is it that you are in fact… Stuart St Clair Haslam?
Shelley – chasing Cllr Redsell is now like flogging dead horse and you are on a hiding to nothing.
Far better to look at the plans for football stadiums and the involvement of certain leading Councillors and the very very low values given by Mickey Mouse to some of the Council’s assets recently – I wonder which controversial Council Officer is behind this?
It’s so far from the truth , from someone who’s just moved around this area you seem to know a lot unlike you and your boyfriend descamisados just ask Mike super snoop I was born and bread in Thurrock,it still doesn’t deter from the truth everyone knows what Redsell is, and you only have to read the other blogs everyone knows it is a white wash on Thurrock’s behalf
– I moved to a Chafford Hundred after all this IGC alleged corruption stuff happened, I don’t know what happened and based on what I’ve read on here, Gazette, etc I don’t think anyone really does. So I tend to avoid commenting on it. Your comments appear to me to be, frankly, cheap innuendo, slurs and potentially slanderous accusations. If you have evidence, go to the police. If you don’t, feel free to keep parroting on like a religious bloke at a football match with a megaphone, but I won’t be paying attention, or engaging with it.
So Shelley is an ex-member of Thurrock Council? As a former public figure, what do you have to hide?
Is it that you are in fact… Stuart St Clair Haslam?
Descamisados
So you move to Chafford Hundred after the Industrial Chemicals Group stuff happened and you don’t know what happened, but you are sure that Shelley is Stuart Haslam, and yet I am cheap and full of innuendo, and you tend to avoid commenting on it, you’re not doing badly
I personally would rather take on somebody’s point of view that had the courage to make a standards charge and backup the charge with evidence unlike you with hearsay,It must have been good evidence for Thurrock Council
to refuse To take it further and stop it in its tracks smells a bit don’t it
if there was nothing to hide why not let it take it , course I think we can guess why?
And by what Shelley has said regarding Your Thurrock not printing the evidence, I feel by keeping it under wraps it has made the matter worse and added to the shame of all Thurrock conservative members, I think it’s fair to say this woman has been at the center of more than a few indiscretions, just how long this is going to carry on for is anybody’s guess but leopards seldom change their spots
Albert, Ed and Shelley, this was a piece about Aaron Kiely and, yet again, you have chosen to turn the comments into a Redsell bashing session! What has Redsell got to do with the Kiely story? I have, a some length in previous post’s, explained why YT cannot print all the things you say you want printed about the woman so I won’t repeat myself here. What I will say is this, if you are utterly convinced that there is tangible evidence of a crime committed by this woman then take it to the Police. If you think she is guilty of scandalous malpractice as a councillor then take the story to one of the major daily’s. YT couldn’t afford the lawsuits should it turn out that your allegations are not water tight or happen to be total nonsense. And before you start, I have no idea either way.
Don’t you have anything to say about Aaron Kiely? After all, he was elected to represent Ockendon and hasn’t bothered to do so. Isn’t that a real scandal?
Gray I think you will find when I asked Mike originally to publish the farcical process of the standards procedure just to show people what you are up against, he refused on the grounds that it would be a witchhunt,
I mentioned no, more so than he’s continued barrage against Aaron Kiely
And then solely on the premise,it was to much of a good or waste of a good headline to write a story is beyond me, once again I will explain my point , if people saw the evidence I presented to Thurrock Council, Thurrock Council’s reasons given why they could not move on in regard of my complaint it would show what a one-sided pointless procedure making a standards charge at Thurrock Council really is and that is my point
Dear Gray watching this story unfold it seems to me that Thurrock Council is more interested in protecting the guilty and saving itself more embarrassment and showing up the game for what it is, rather than following a correct procedure, when a Council puts itself above the interests of the people, who incidentally fund it, and then try to warrant it by itself perceiving not to be in the councils best interest, regardless of people’s concerns and what is right, that’s when the wheels start to fall off,
And when pressure is brought to bear on sites like Your Thurrock in these concerns, it shows even more so and becomes even more apparent.
I think Shelley has tried to emphasize the matter that trying to make a standards charge to the Council is not as easy or straightforward as it should be, and had he the opportunity of presenting the evidence in public it would have been apparent for everybody to see, I myself cannot see the problem with examining the evidence he presented and then letting the public make up their minds as to how the Council perceived it, after all if there is a local case in the papers concerning local matters, the details of the case when finished are quite often reported is that considered to be a witch-hunt ?
of Course not so I do not see where the problem arises
Albert, I don’t disagree with much of what you say. It’s just that the Redsell case is gone, it’s history now and no amount of banging on about it is going to change anything. I think you are right, the Council does cover up it’s embarrassment’s where it can and I do think that they are all too obsessed with Party Politics. Personally, I think that our Council has been rotten for quite a while.
My point on the issue of what YT can and can’t do is simple. YT cannot present any ‘evidence’ on it’s pages because it has no idea whether the ‘evidence’ is all it appears. Calling something evidence does not make it a true and legitimate account of anything. If YT were to put something into the public domain which is later proven to be a fabrication, it would put itself at risk of being sued for slander or defamation (there are other issues at play, especially where evidence has already been investigated and found insufficient to make a case, for example). I am not saying that Shelley’s evidence is false, just that there is no way that YT can verify it. By contrast, the Kiely issue is straightforward, he doesn’t turn up for Council meetings and he is absent from his ward, there is no ambiguity.
Gray to pinpoint the matter regarding what exactly I presented to Thurrock Council I will itemise, it consisted of four time stamped photographs a signed affidavit of fact from the person who took the photos and Mrs Redsell declaration of the planning application on which she sat
I do not believe your Thurrock could have got into any hot water regarding the information I supplied to Thurrock Council, I even suggested placing the whole article in my name into this Regard to alleviate your Thurrock from any prosecution, or misunderstanding, all of which you can confirm with Mike himself
Thanks for the clarification Shelley, was that same info presented in evidence to the Council? Anyway, I guess I don’t know all the ins and outs of this issue as well as some but I still would defer to Mike Casey’s judgement as to what he does, or does not include on YT. Furthermore, dredging up the Redsell case is no way to deal with the Aaron Kiely situation, it just seems like an exercise in mis-direction.
Like I said earlier, I think that our Council is pretty rotten and leaves a lot to be desired. The absent Mr Kiely just drags it down ever further into the mire. In my opinion, of course.
I can’t think why some of the people commenting on this don’t hold an open evening on council disciplinary procedures and how they work. They could use their favourite subject as a case in point. They could do it in conjunction with a discussion on the futility of life. Who needs assisted suicide when you could listen to that.
I haven’t commented about the Redsell case because, as Albert reminds us, it was before my time and I know very little. But I am intrigued as to why a former councillor would hide themselves behind a moniker, so I did a little digging.
By the looks of it, the Thurrock Tories around 2009 were a mess, and several of them have subsequently gone in different political directions, with perhaps an axe to grind against the Tories? And of those defectors, the ones who are no longer members, who appears to have put most effort into trying to stay involved in Thurrock politics? Stuart St Clair Haslam.
But why would Stuart hide? Well, apparently, he did something dodgy at a planning meeting, and would have been before a standards committee had he not lost his seat in 2010. So it all fits. My guess is Shelley is Stuart St Clair Haslam. And Shelley hasn’t as yet denied it.
It’s amazing what you can find using google, isn’t it Stuart?
Descamisados, you may well be right. If you are, it would explain the constant Redsell bashing because he is/was the partner of Mrs Redsell’s estranged daughter who, as we might all recall, was dragged into the ‘affair of the missing photograph’ involving visits by CID etc etc.
Descamisados Sherlock Holmes you are not the easiest way to find out which former member I am is to get Mike to publish the evidence I supplied him and I will gladly put my name to the article and you can see for yourself the amount of their work I did for them in supply them with watertight evidence against Mrs Redsell
As for accusing Mr Haslam of doing something dodgy at a planning meeting I only hope he reads your comments and reacts
I would also commented in an earlier blog, I made a statement telling you that I was born and bred in Thurrock my recollection of Mr Haslam was he came from Birmingham
And you assuming I am hiding behind a moniker is also not right, but if you find it irritating I suggest you put in a freedom of information request regarding complaints and I’m sure Thurrock Council will supply the information to you
The reason I took up the challenge of presenting a standards charge against Mrs Redsell was because of the statements released by her and posted on the Tory blog site one tree Hill, if I remember rightly she threw down the gauntlet to all comers with the words, I have done nothing morally or ethically or unlawful wrong in my time at Thurrock Council I gave Thurrock Council the evidence which was incomplete contrast to that ridiculous disingenuous statement
Way to go Shelley i also remember that Tory blog site the view from broken back hill or more commonly known as shirt lifters anonymous for the Tory voter
I would like to reply to Gray64 my reasoning is all though, I keep bringing the subject of Mrs Redsell to everybody attention is quite simply she’s still a member at Thurrock Council and theoretically she could still qualify to be a portfolio holder, a planning committee member or God forbid something to do with Thurrock’s finances and while the public are denied the opportunity of confronting and Thurrock Council are frighten to scrutinise this woman, chances are it will happen again
I remember her quote of which shelley has reminded us about throwing down the gauntlet well let’s see if she picks it up, I remember her being quite vocal on that disgusting blog site incidentally of which Thurrock Council did nothing to stop,
I wonder why she is not so vocal now if I remember rightly she encouraged people to come forward with their complaint and stand up and be counted, she has now got the opportunity to confront somebody why don’t she put her money where her mouth is, it’s a fair comment I think
Personally I think there is more chance of Shergar being found with Lord Lucan on his back
Shelley as far as Thurrock Council is concerned this issue is dead and buried.
However, if you have evidence of a criminal activity then you should present your evidence to the Police to decide what action should be taken.
Why do you think YourThurrock refuses to print your ‘evidence’ – if the ‘evidence’ is unreliable or not backed up by a signed affidavit woe betide any media printing allegations not backed up by facts.
I nobody can make a statement that Cllr X was in a relationship with Applicant Z and she failed to declare they were partners and voted on his planning application then there is no evidence.
And can anyone stand up in a court of law and state Cllr X, Cllr Y and Cllr A were given the use of applicant Z holiday home for free but failed to declare this hospitality?
Courts need evidence not gossip.
So Shelley – go to the Police if you have cast iron evidence – let them investigate if any criminal act occurred. If there is no Police case then the issue is dead and you need to move on.
There are far more strange things going on regarding the value of council assets and plans for football stadiums that should be scrutinised.
Back to May 2013 please, the story is about the absent councillor Kiely who is taking money from us all under false pretencies!!!!!!