PEACE talks between an Ockendon UKIP councillor and a Tilbury resident following an incident during a council meeting in September “descended into a slanging match” claims a Labour councillor.
Last September, Tilbury resident, Toni Mayes, attended a Thurrock Council meeting.
It was a particularly volatile meeting. As there was a comfort break, Ms Mayes went outside. At this point, Ms Mayes claims she was confronted by Ockendon councillor, Kevin Wheeler, who, Ms Mayes claims “subjected her to a torrent of verbal abuse”.
A complaint was lodged and after a four month investigation, a meeting was held at the Thurrock Council offices.
Present were UKIP leader, cllr Graham Snell, UKIP councillor, Kevin Wheeler, Ms Mayes, Tilbury councillor, Srteve Liddiard (Labour) and Thurrock Council legal officer.
According to both Ms Mayes and councillor Liddiard, the meeting was going well, with cllr Wheeler accepting that he spoke out of turn and explaining that he found the nature and tone of the council meeting very stressful.
Ms Mayes said she accepted this but then asked that cllr Wheeler “make a public apology and undergo some form of anger management training.”
Cllr Liddiard told YT that this was the point the meeting “descended into a slanging match” with UKIP leader, Graham Snell claiming that this was politically motivated.
YT put a number of questions to cllr Snell but he had not replied at time of publication.
YT spoke to Thurrock Council who told us that “the contents of this private meeting were confidential.”
Its called politics Ms Mayes. If you are to weak to handle it, simple – don’t go to the meetings.
Councillors – You have standards to uphold. We know The London Borough of Thurrock is rife with incompetence but hey, you can’t keep this confidential.
I don’t like UKIP they are always in the news now having hit the self distruct
thurrocksgonedownhill I thought you were a little hard on the woman.
CTB, I’m sure you know what TBC meetings can be like. People do get rather passionate about their causes, beliefs etc but you do have to ” take it on the chin” sometimes.