THE LEADER if Thurrock Council, John Kent has questioned the attendance record and commitment of the shadow leader for the Conservatives, cllr Rob Gledhill.
Cllr Kent said:
"Last week’s public meeting, held to discuss government plans for another river crossing in Thurrock, was a tremendous show of Thurrock people standing shoulder to shoulder against a common threat.
That tremendous show included a united political front against any plans for a further crossing in Thurrock. I have to thank our MP Jackie Doyle-Price for joining with me and the council calling on the government to think again.
Several Tory councillors also spoke out and Labour, UKIP and independent members were also there – a true united front seemingly.
But was it?
There was one face missing; the same face that has consistently failed to attend cabinet meetings for months; the same face that has failed to ask a single question on the cuts at cabinet or council for months.
Conservative Group leader Rob Gledhill.
I’ll admit I like an easy time as much as the next person, but I also believe in democracy and accountability.
Cllr Gledhill has singularly failed his supporters.
He wasn’t at last week’s meeting joining with his MP to show his support for our fight against the crossing proposals – does he support it or not?
And he hasn’t been at cabinet for months. It is his job to hold us to account, yet he fails to do so, instead relying on getting his whinging comments in the local media.
Becoming leader of a political group brings responsibilities with it. I may have regularly disagreed with Cllr Gledhill’s predecessor, but at least our disagreements were held in the public domain of the council chamber, or at cabinet.
It’s about time Cllr Gledhill stood up and led his group explaining what they stand for; Telling us how he would meet the challenge of balancing the council’s books in the face of another £25 million government funding cut, where they’d make the cuts if they don’t like ours; and equally importantly where he stands on the issue of another Thames crossing.
‘It’s just another example of a confused and leaderless opposition pulling in different directions, a group repeating its mistakes of the past, a group whose confusion and lack of leadership led to Thurrock being a small step from government intervention, and a group which was so inept it left Thurrock just months from bankruptcy.’
