THE minority Conservative and Labour groups on Thurrock Council, who have two councillors apiece, have criticised the ruling Reform group for taking the chairs on overview and scrutiny committees - role that has recently been offered to position members.

There are four principal O&S committees (Place, Corporate, Adukt Health and Children's Heath and Social care, so even with just four members, it was mathematically possible to have give the chairs to opposition members, together with the £8,923 allowance that goes with it.

However, Reform has given the chairs to its own members, and also the vice-chairs that are accompanied by an allowance of £2,231.

That has been met with concern from Thurrock Labour which has accused Reform UK of trying to 'mark its own homework' in by appointing its own councillors to key scrutiny positions.

A statement from Labour says: "At a full council meeting (Wednesday, 27 May) the new leadership of Thurrock Council put forward members of their own party to chair all four scrutiny committees.

"Reform UK councillors will now lead the work of every committee tasked with holding the Council's political leadership to account.

"The committees are part of a system designed to prevent the lack of scrutiny that facilitated the Council's reckless investment strategy, and subsequent bankruptcy in 2022."

At last night's meeting, Thurrock Labour objected to the proposal, calling on Reform UK to reconsider the decision. Speaking in the Council chamber Cllr Aaron Green, Labour councillor for Purfleet-on-Thames, said that scrutiny should "remain independent of both the executive and the ruling group."

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He went on to accuse Reform UK of "quite literally marking your own homework" and said he would "urge the administration to think again". He added that, during their tenure in control of the Council, Labour gave all four of the chair positions to members of opposition parties.

Conservative Cllr Qaisar Abbas shared the concern of Cllr Green, saying: "Cllr Abbas would wish to respond with:

"We are disappointed that Reform have taken all the Chairs of Overview and Scrutiny Committees, as well as every spot on the Audit and Standards Committees - including Cabinet members, which is unconstitutional and against the BVI recommendations.

"This raises serious concerns about accountability and effective scrutiny. Those responsible for decision making should not be scrutinising their own decisions.

"I will make representations to the council leadership to change this.

"With only four opposition councillors, meaning that the opposition voices are limited, but are not quiet. The way to change that is by voting Conservatives in the two by-elections in Grays."

The system of scrutiny and oversight at Thurrock Council was strengthened in response to the financial collapse of the authority under the then Conservative leadership.

An official review found that "wholly inadequate scrutiny and governance arrangements" had played a significant role in the dysfunctional leadership and culture of denial that allowed hundreds of millions to be recklessly gambled on solar farms.

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The Best Value Inspection report instructed the Council to "address the fundamental issues" that had allowed decision-making power "to be drawn to a small group of members and officers". This led to the restructuring and strengthening of scrutiny committees, to hold leaders to account and examine performance.

Government guidance warns that the "the executive should not try to exercise control over the work of the scrutiny committee", including as "a tool of political patronage". The chairs hold the power to decide what is, and is not, included on scrutiny work programmes.

Reform UK has pledged to find financial savings at Thurrock Council, despite the authority still managing upwards of half a million pounds of debt.

This follows the announcement last week that two Reform UK councillors will be standing down just two weeks after they were elected - triggering two by elections, at an estimated cost of £70,000 to local taxpayers.

Thurrock's Labour Mp Jen Craft, said: "Scrutiny of the council's work is a key part of local democracy, yet Reform UK's leadership is trying to mark its own homework.

"We have seen this pattern of behaviour before under the Tories, who ducked oversight and plunged the council into financial chaos - for which residents are still paying the price.

"When Reform UK has made big promises about finding savings in the Council's budgets, they must hold themselves to the highest standards of scrutiny to avoid repeating the catastrophic mistakes of the past."

Cllr Aaron Green, Labour Councillor for Purfleet on Thames, said: "We have seen this before in this council, and we can't afford to go backwards now.

"Labour made important progress in recovering the money we lost, but there is still a job to do.

"Even though it is just me and Cllr Shinnick representing Labour on the council now, we will be doing everything we can to hold this administration's feet to the fire to deliver for everyone in our community."

Ahead of last night's meeting, a senior member of Reform said his group would consider offering positions as co-opted, non-voting members to people in the borough, in a bid to redress what he conceded was an overwhelming number of people representing one particular view.

Among those under consideration for such a non-voting, advisory position and the ability to ask questions was former Independent councillor Fraser Massey.

He chose not to stand for the recent elections, but was widely considered to be a fair and responsible councillor with good local and business knowledge and he had indicated his willingness to serve as a check and balance on the audit committee.

However, he was not contacted, nor apparently considered for a roll despite the idea initially being welcomed.