THE LEADER of the Thurrock Conservatives has hit back at criticism by Thurrock Council leader, John Kent over his attendance and commitment.
Cllr Gledhill said "I will take no lessons from The Labour Leader in attendance and leadership. I would remind him that when in opposition he failed to attend a vast majority of overview and scrutiny committees he placed himself on, and also failed to attend our cabinet meetings for nearly 5 years.
"As for his cabinet, we see little point turning up to a meeting where ALL of the decisions are made behind closed doors so then his ‘nodding dogs’ cabinet can plough through a 500 page agenda in less than 30 minutes; spending more time congratulating themselves or attacking government rather than asking alternatives to officer proposals. This is why we have been trying to bring proposals forward to change this system, but have be prevented from doing so.
Both Thurrock Conservative MPs, Jackie Doyle-Price and Stephen Metcalfe, and every Conservative Councillor from 2009 have been consistent on our Lower Thames Crossing message. When this was proposed by the Labour Government, we said no new crossings in Thurrock – the crossing needs to be further down river to make a second outer London link road, plain and simple. It wasn’t until after the consultation from government was closed did the Labour-run council start running meetings to say none of the above, which was never an option.
When it comes to leadership, I would remind him that we are coming up on the two year anniversary of the Aaron Keily investigation with no sign of an apology or much improvement in attendance. He also has a member waiting trial for benefit fraud, who is allegedly under suspension from his party, yet HE still places them on committees as if still a full group member.
"As for how we would make savings, he and the very few members of his group who attended Full Council last Wednesday joked that they were recycling Conservative ideas from three years ago such as LED lighting. He has also trashed time and time again our call for zero based budgets where money would be accurately spent on the services we need to spend money on, what we we are expected to spend money on and, if we have any taxpayers money left, on what residents would like it spent it on.
"We would not be spending £11 million on temps and consultants, losing money on parking income, or on staff to driving up and down the A13 to Barking and Dagenham as part of Labour’s management merger.
"It is clear that the years Thurrock Labour have spent using spin tactics along with smoke and mirrors to fudge budgets, waste taxpayers money, and blame everyone else has taken it’s toll on their leader. He is now believing his own hype and out of desperation he has decided to lash out."
