FOLLOWING news this week that local elections in the borough have been cancelled, the leader of the opposition Conservative group on Thurrock council has called on the Labour leader to reinstate two full council meetings.

In advance of elections, under rules of purdah, council meetings are usually not held. The imposition of 'all-out elections' originally scheduled for Thursday, 1 May 2025 meant monthly full council meetings would not be held in March and April.

However, with no elections now taking place, Conservative leader Cllr Andrew Jefferies has called on his Labour counterpart to put full meetings back on the calendar.

In an open letter to Cllr John Kent, Cllr Jefferies says: "You will be aware that the government, at your administration's request, have taken the decision to postpone this year's all out council elections. In light of this, I'm sure you will agree that there is no good reason to not hold full council in the months of March and April.

"As you have said yourself, the devolution process coupled with local government re-organisation, will amount to the biggest changes to local government in Essex, including in Thurrock, for more than a generation.

"As we embark on this process, it is imperative that your administration is held to account and the public have an opportunity to hear or ask questions on what is happening.

"I'm therefore writing to request that you, as Leader of the Council, join with me in calling for the mayor to schedule Full Council meetings in the aforementioned months.

"While I'm aware that question time extends to other committees of the council including cabinet, they do not provide the same opportunity for engagement and scrutiny as full council does.

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"The public, I believe, expects nothing less and all 49 councillors should not be deprived of a single opportunity to ask questions on the changes and process which will inevitably follow.

"With this month's full council meeting primarily for the purposes of setting a budget, and May's Full Council being ceremonial, without full council meetings in March and April, there will be no proper meeting of full Council until June.

"This is clearly unacceptable and weakens the democratic process at a time when we cannot afford for this to happen."