A BOROUGH councillor who has confirmed his links to the Reform Party, says he will remain indpendent on the council chamber bnenches - at least unbtil next year's elections.

It was announced this week that Tilbury Roverside and Thurrock Park councillor John Allen was leaving the eight-strong Non-Political Alliance of Independent Councillors (NPAIC) group on the council, to stand on his own.

The decision came after he accepted the role of vice-chairman of the Thurrock branch of Reform.

Cllr Allen - a former UKIP councillor - says the move was inspired by his admiration for Nigel Farage and before next year's local election he will decide whether he will stand for Reform.

Mr Allen said: "I've always been a strong supporter of Nigel Farage. I like his policies. I think Reform is the only credible alternative to the two-party elite.

"I will remain an Independent until my term is up which is next year in May. I may well stand as a Reform candidate."

Neil Speight, councillor for Stanford West ward and spokesman for NPAIC, said: "After discussion over the weekend with John Allen, we have agreed that for the sake of openness and honesty, he will step away from the Non-Political Alliance of Independent Councillors and will stand either as a non-aligned independent councillor or as a Reform member.

"John clearly supports parts, if not all, of the Reform manifesto and is taking a group role with the party in Thurrock to help promote it. That is incongruous with our group constitution of having no political alliance and we feel it best he makes the distinction clear."

Cllr Speight added: "We represent residents and local businesses, not political dogma. Going forward we will be looking how best to present a manifesto for the 2025 local elections that highlights our shared aims of putting people, not politics, first."

Confirming his decision to step aside from the group, Cllr Allen revealed part of his decision to leave the NPAIC was because he felt side-lined as he represented a ward outside of east Thurrock.

He added: "To be quite honest being in NPAIC I found myself to be outside of the actual group for some time now because it's all about east Thurrock.

"I've never really been included. Seven of the eight are all placed in east Thurrock and I'm outside of east Thurrock and I've felt pushed out for some time now."

Despite Cllr Allen's claims, Mr Speight maintained there were no hard feelings and the group of councillors wished him well.

Regarding the allegation that the group was East Thurrock centric, Cllr Speight said the record of group members speaking on a wide range of topics at council and submitting motions and asking questions on a wide range of borough-pwode tops, showed that wasn't the case and he said: "It's disappointing that John feels that way, I can assure you he has been invited and attended every physical meeting we have had, and taken part in ad hoc online meetings.

"There's no sour grapes on the part of myself and my remaining six colleagues, John leaves our group with best wishes and our congratulations on the work he has carried out so passionately for residents in the Tilbury Riverside and Thurrock Park ward.

"I am sure John will continue to do that for people in his ward and I hope that he gets the support and backing that he has been given by NPAIC from his new partners.

"I repeat, I wish him well."