IN the wake of news reports about the state of Thurrock Council's borrowing situation and much comment in the world of finance about the risk Thurrock Council may be in, a call has been made for an extraordinary meeting of the council to discuss the subject and hold officers and councillors to public account.

Cllr John Kent, leader of Thurrock Labour Group, says: "Local residents will be shocked that a local council can run up such a level of debt in such a short time without proper oversight by councillors.

"More worrying is the fact that Thurrock Council regularly uses loans from one council to pay its debts to another like municipal pay-day loans.

"This report highlights the unacceptable culture of secrecy, lack of transparency and a contempt for councillors that has grown up in Thurrock over recent years.

Seeking answers to the many questions

"Even so, surely senior councillors must have given the go ahead for senior officers to run up this level of debt and allow taxpayers money to be used for speculative investments?

"I am seeking the support of the Mayor and other councillors for an urgent meeting of the council to seek answers to the many questions these shocking revelations have raised".

There has been no official statement from the council about the report on its finances in yesterday's Financial Times but in the daily coronavirus update issued last evening – supposedly a non-political briefing – Conservative group finance portfolio holder Cllr Shane Hebb did defend the authority's financial strategy.

The next scheduled meeting of the full council should have been this coming Wednesday when the Mayor-making was due to have taken place. Because of its inability to set up a virtual meeting or a safe environment within the council chamber the meeting was postponed – and the mayoral year extended for another 12 months.

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June's meeting of the full council is penciled in for Wednesday, 24 June.

Cllr Kent is calling on Mayor Cllr Terry Piccolo to convene an immediate full council meeting with the borrowing as its sole agenda item. If necessary the council could meet in a safer environment at the much larger Civic Hall, rather than the council chamber, thereby being able to meet social distancing requirements. It has held meetings there previously.

If the Mayor does not grant the meeting, one could still be convened if the Chief Executive receives a demand from five councillors. If that happens, a meeting has to be called within 21 days.