The new chairman will be former Tory leader, cllr Terry Hipsey with cllr Martin Healey as vice-chair. New Tilbury councillor Steve Liddiard,a former council officer, joins the team with just cllr Gerard Rice remaining of the old Labour guard.
Tim calls for innovation in spending and saving. He has seen it in councils such as Hillingdon, Hammersmith and Fulham and demands that Thurrock follow suit. Perhaps he has more in common with "smart thinking" Dep. Leader Val Morris-Cook than he would care to admit.
So, for Val, the timing seems right that she should step up to the plate. Leader John Kent and Val appear to compliment each other. John's considered approach aligned with Val's management and motivational skills. She will need them: "managing" Mayor Ann Cheale, tutoring new Portfolio Holders, teaching some of the old Labour dogs,new tricks. Val will need all her key skills to nurture and develop her team. If anyone can do it, Val can.
But yesterday was John's first day. Many believed he would not try to gain power and would wait for the Tories to totally implode. However it seems that he realised that given a straight choice between him and Garry Hague, he would win the vote.
Former Tory leader, Anne Cheale took over the chains of office. Deputy Mayor Eddie Hardiman was re-installed as Mayor beating off a challenge from cllr Yash Gupta.
You have already read what happened last night. Labour have taken power. When they did, we wondered how long it would be before the eccentricity of former Tory leader, Anne Cheale becoming Mayor would throw the council into chaos. We thought it could be about 30 days. It took about thirty seconds.
Liam Byrne's note and the news that civil servant asked for Letters of Direction from Labour in the last days of the regime, looks like there was an element of "Apres Moi, Le Deluge" from Gordon Brown's government.
So when the housing office closes, the play centres shut, the rape crisis, sanctuary centre, after school club. When the number of police decreases, youth offending rockets, levels of depression rises and divorces increase. Think long, as you sit there in the orange hue of the council chamber. What did my political feud do to help the good people of Thurrock?
Coming from a real mix of different backgrounds and political views, we are as councillors united by our common goals of wanting to see change, some real improvements to the area we live in, for our children, families and for our communities.
IT IS what they always dreamed of. For Stephen when he took his first steps as a councillor is Abridge. For Jackie, it was over twenty years ago as a young woman in Sheffield.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) today welcomes the new coalition Government formed by the Conservative Party and Liberal Democrat Party, and congratulates...
