Thurrock Conservatives have accused UKIP Councillors of ducking their civic responsibility for abstaining on important votes at Wednesday’s full Council.
At the meeting, UKIP failed to make any decisions by abstained on almost every vote. They made bold statements in their election leaflets, but the moment they were elected they buried their head in the sand.
New Conservative Leader Rob Gledhill said “Wednesday night saw the opportunity to make the decision making process in Thurrock more transparent than ever before. For years Thurrock Labour called for the Conservative cabinet to be better held to account and for the opposition to hold chairs of the Overview & Scrutiny committees. However, since Labour took control, they have ignored their own arguments taking as many chairs of committees as possible. By UKIP ducking their responsibilities they have allowed Labour to be able to make decisions and scrutinise them, effectively checking their own homework. They set a poor precedence on Wednesday and their inability to stand up and be counted will no doubt leave a bitter taste in mouths of their supporters.”
After the May elections Thurrock Labour only have 23 seats on the Council and have formed a minority administration. After the full Council meeting they not only have a leadership of the Council but positions of Mayor, Deputy Mayor, 6 chairs of overview & scrutiny, licensing and planning.
Cllr Halden, Thurrock Conservatives Deputy Leader said “Did the thousands who people who voted UKIP know that they were going to allow Labour to run Thurrock like a one party state? The situation that has been allowed by UKIP is as follows – Labour control both the decision making process of the council, as well as controlling the mechanisms in place to check decisions and hold them to account. UKIP have made Thurrock a one party state because they have no plan, just a bunch of sensationalised leaflets. I fear what will happen when votes come up on the issues of borrowing money or merging services with Barking and Dagenham, because thus far UKIP have showed that they have no earthly idea what is going on”.
Now i wonder if the people who voted UKIP did know what was going to happen? Did they know there was LOCAL plus EUROPEAN ELECTIONS?
Did they realise the CLLRS voted in are there for FOUR years?
Do they realise the UKIP CLLRS at a local level can not change immigration?
I actually think with all due respect someone needs to teach the election process at local level and govt level to the electorate. Simply because if the electorate do not understand it could be a disaster and possibly disappointing,
now surely thats sensible and common sense?
The simple truth is that the Conservatives are throwing their toys out of their pram because they can’t get UKIP to do what the Conservatives want them to do.
The Conservatives have just spent the last few months slagging off UKIP, calling them every name under the sun, smearing and vilifying them and now they act surprised because they won’t vote for Conservative candidates for committee seats.
Wake up and smell the coffee guys, UKIP aren’t the naughty Eurosceptic wing of the Conservative party. They aren’t your loyal lap dogs who will jump through hoops and perform tricks when you snap your fingers. You can’t spend month upon month attacking UKIP with some of the most disgusting leaflets used in any local election calling them nutters, fruitcakes and closet racists and then act surprised when they refuse to cut a deal with you.
By abstaining UKIP have sent a clear message they are neither the Conservatives or Labours poodle. And at the end of the day exactly what did Rob Gledhill have to bring to the table to make UKIP vote for Conservative Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Chair of committees?
I think Rob Gledhill and James Halden protest too much. They lost the election. The Conservatives in Thurrock are losing their share of the vote. Year on year they are losing Councillors. Slagging off UKIP won’t hide these facts.
Stop worrying about UKIP. Instead of looking for other people to blame for their humiliating election defeat they should take a hard long look at why Thurrock voters are deserting the Conservatives in droves. Perhaps Thurrock Conservatives should start acting like adult politicians, stop the Punch and Judy and have decent policies that local people can believe in, get excited about and will make people vote Conservative.
These figures showing percentage of votes should be of interest to anyone who wants to see how Conservative, Labour, UKIP and BNP have done over the past 12 years.
Conservative % of vote.
2002 – 37.1 %
2004 – 44.7 %
2006 – 41.3 %
2007 – 30.7 %
2008 – 37.2 %
2010 – 37.9 %
2011 – 32.8 %
2012 – 29.2 %
2014 – 28.1 %
Labour % of vote
2002 – 48.6 %
2004 – 37.4 %
2006 – 35.9 %
2007 – 34.1 %
2008 – 32.6 %
2010 – 38.4 %
2011 – 41.0 %
2012 – 39.0 %
2014 – 30.04 %
The rise of UKIP
2002 – no candidates
2004 – no candidates
2006 – no candidates
2007 – 1.7 %
2008 – 1.2 %
2010 – 8.1 %
2011 – 12.7 %
2012 – 18.0 %
2014 – 39.03 %
The rise and fall of the BNP
2002 – no candidates
2004 – 5.2 %
2006 – 12.0 %
2007 – 24.6 %
2008 – 21.3 %
2010 – 13.2 %
2011 – 4.2 %
2012 – 0.4 %
2014 – No candidates
Well Ed fair comment and all that. However UKIP did vote with the conservatives for both Sue Little and Brian Littles positions. What do you think of that?
Cherry – the way I understand it is – that Cllrs Mr and Mrs Little have always shown Cllr Ray and UKIP members respect – that respect was returned. After all you catch more bees with honey than with vinegar. Maybe the tories should take a leaf out of the ‘Littles’ book and show some maturity and manners, instead of acting like naughty children.
cherry that’s an interesting development. It’s either a case of the Little’s being better political players than the current leadership of the Conservative group or UKIP indicating which of the Conservative group they would rather have dealings with. Interesting that in Basildon a UKIP Councillor has been made Deputy-Mayor and 2 UKIP Councillors are in the Conservative Cabinet.
All – UKIP promised political blast from day 1, they had a chance at the opening of Council, and blew it. They are an anti European National Party and like the BNP and NF they will make promises but will not deliver as their ultimate objective / campaign is not local politics.
Good luck to Basildon Tories. Euro Scepticism within or in coalition with their party is likely to lead to political schism or worse civil war. NEW Labour Member for Basildon. Check betting now. ……!
As Councillors, their guests and others gathered for the first meeting of the Full Council since the elections on 22nd May there was an air of great expectation which, in the event, turned into disappointment and at times utter boredom mainly due to the decision of the UKIP Councillors to abstain on virtually every item on the agenda thus prompting the Conservatives to call for a “requisition” vote on all matters required to be voted on. At the conclusion of the meeting I spoke with a member of UKIP who informed me the reasons for abstaining was they did not want to be seen to be “taking sides” and in any event they were not sufficiently briefed as to the capabilities of those being nominated for Chairs of Committees etc. to be able to make informed decisions.
That may well be the case but I believe the UKIP Councillors missed the opportunity to impress upon the Labour and Conservative groups that they were not just the beneficiaries of a protest vote but were elected because they were more in tune with the concerns and aspirations of a vast and growing number of indigenous citizens of the UK. One of their oft repeated pledges is “a vote for UKIP is a vote for change to the current political systems” both locally and nationally. Given the opportunity to demonstrate their influence in the Council Chamber by casting their votes they chose instead to allow Labour and Conservative Councillors to fight it out between them. By abstaining you surrender the power to influence and make an impression, the only impression made by “sitting on the fence” is the one made on your backside.
I also believe the UKIP Councillors missed an opportunity to go some way to silencing those who accuse them of being “racist”; I speak of the election of a Mayor. As a consequence of the defeat of their candidate, Wendy Curtis, in the local election, the Labour Party was forced to select a substitute candidate, namely Cllr Steve Liddiard, the Conservative candidate being Cllr Tunde Ojetola. For the benefit of those who do not know him Cllr Ojetola is of ethnic origin. If, instead of abstaining, the UKIP Councillors had been more astute and voted for Cllr Ojetola, Thurrock would now have a Mayor of ethnic origin, who has been a Councillor for the past ten years and whose record speaks for itself, which is not to say that Cllr Liddiard is in any way unworthy of the position. If UKIP Councillors felt disinclined to oppose Labour’s choice for Mayor then would it not have been wiser of them to support Cllr Ojetola for Deputy Mayor.
Beware, when “finger-pointing” and shouting racist, lest the” finger” points elsewhere, recollecting that 3 years ago Cllr Kent sacrificed Yash Gupta, the Labour candidate for Mayor when the then outgoing Mayor, Ms Cheale, made it known that she was not prepared to vote for Yash Gupta or Tunde Ojetola both of them of ethnic origin. Cllr Kent did not challenge her reasons instead, because he needed her support to continue in power, he acquiesced and replaced Yash Gupta with a candidate Ms Cheale found acceptable. I believe there was a stronger “whiff” of racism in the conduct of Ms Cheale than expressing concerns about uncontrolled immigration.
If the UKIP Councillors reasons for abstaining, i.e. they were not sufficiently briefed on the capabilities of other Councillors, is to be believed, I am intrigued as to why they made exceptions in the case of Cllrs Susan and Brian Little, especially in the case of Brian Little who was elected for the first time but, despite he has no previous record as a Councillor on which to be judged, UKIP supported his nomination as Vice-Chair of the Planning Committee. Do UKIP have a special affinity with Susan and Brian or is a “Little” cosy relationship developing the outcome yet to be made known?
The UKIP plan is probably not to vote at all. With cuts of £40 million just wait for the public back lash. Unfortunately we will have to wait until 2015. Public in Thurrock no longer interested. Maybe a blog or two on Your Thurrock. The majority of staff at Thurrock now work for SERCO via Vertex handover. Unions seemed to have lost interest years ago. No information for Labour Members oh well. Interesting times. Poison Chalice to be on control of Thurrock Council now.
How odd that the conservative party are coming into criticism for speaking out against the UKIP elected members, it wasn’t that long ago that Labour were condemning them also, I suppose it came down to who could shout loudest. Did John Kent try to make a deal with the UKIP representatives before full council, there’s no smoke without fire and I can guess we all know the answer. So come on YT, have you forgotten all the nasty and racially motivated comments that labour has bestowed upon its own party members. Let’s hear both sides.
Snakebiteuk
Looking for somebody to blame
Ms Doyle-Price ended her tweet emphasising “No Pact.” With her leading the recent Thurrock Council campaign, it could be interpreted that there will be no pact between Thurrock Conservatives and Thurrock UKIP councillors in order to lead Thurrock Council over the next year.
And you are wondering why the Conservatives didn’t do a deal with UKIP
She systematically ruined the Conservative campaign in Thurrock and then throws her Toys out of the pram, she is not worth 2 Bob and if she had a brain she would be dangerous
Both TBC Labour and Conservatives are hypocrites, not too long ago they both did deals with the BNP to get themselves in power after declaring they would never do deals with a Far Right Party.
UKIP Councillors were voted in by their electorate and will represent their constituents but will not doff their hats to either Tory or Labour just for political gains.
The Conservatives are crying over nothing here, just because UKIP do not agree with something.
Lambo
It didn’t stop Councillor Mark Coxshall pleading for Robert Ray to vote with the Conservatives with he’s repeated comments about the 501 housing scheme in West Thurrock
, what a repulsive individual he is
I didn’t hear any Labour councillors making the same mistake