THURROCK'S 14 Labour councillors have boycotted this evening's full meeting of the authority in protest at the decision by officers to refuse a series of questions tabled for response at the meeting. 

The three members of the Independent group, Cllrs Gary Byrne, Jennifer Smith and Chris Baker, also boycotted the meeting.

Labour and independent councillors had submitted a range of questions following recent press reports – including stories on Nub News - about the council's borrowing and investment policy, specifically its involvement with controversial investment adviser and broker solar farms and Liam Kavanagh, a man damned by a high court judge for his lack of integrity and untruthfulness.

This evening (Wednesday, 27 July) , Labour group leader Cllr John Kent announced his members were taking an 'unprecedented' step by showing their concern about the council's own integrity and honesty, by boycotting the meeting.

In a statement released to coincide with the opening of the meeting Cllr Kent said: "We have been raising concerns about the council's borrowing and investments strategy for over two years through legitimate council channels, with the political leadership and senior management of the Council. 

"Throughout we have been stonewalled, ignored, falsely reassured, lied to, fobbed off and misled. This latest episode is no different.

"The leader of the council and the cabinet member for finance are responsible and should be accountable for the decisions that they and the Conservative cabinet make.

"As opposition councillors, we have a duty to hold the Conservative administration to account and a key way of doing that is to ask questions in public – after all, the people of Thurrock have a right to know what is going on and senior councillors have a duty to tell them. It's unacceptable for them to read about in the national press! 

"The decision to refuse to allow us to even ask questions, this evening, further undermines confidence in the honesty and integrity of the Conservative leadership of Thurrock Council.

"Therefore, Labour group has taken the unprecedented decision to boycott this evening's meeting of the full council in protest at this latest episode of secrecy."

Conservative councillors and independent non aligned council member Cllr John Allen were the only councillors in attendance. The other independent non-aligned councillor, Fraser Massey, apologised for his absence, due to illness.

The Independent Group leader Cllr Gary Byrne said: "It is two years since the Thurrock Independent group questionned the credibility of the people the council have been working with. They put the council's family silver in some very concerning investments about which we have legitimate concerns.

"But the council and this administration refuses to answer questions about those concerns. Councillors who were democratically elected to hold the officers and administration to account. We are doing our job - the council is not doing its job.

"We have been met with a total ban about asking any investment questions. Enough is enough, it is time for the truth to come out."

After the meeting the Thurrock Conservative group issued the following statement: "Tonight we saw no difference during Thurrock Council's monthly meeting. Important decisions were taken by the Conservative administration for the betterment of residents while Labour were missing and lacking anything constructive.

"Thurrock Labour treat council meetings as something out of a pantomime rather than an opportunity to improve our borough.

"Labour Party know the rules for submitting questions to council. It is a shame they are yet again misleading the public by claiming we have any involvement. You can't trust a word they say, especially when they choose to ignore that their own former leader and deputy were in the discussions around investments.

"We really have to question the truth of the so called 'boycott', at least one opposition councillor is currently abroad on holiday despite claims they are 'boycotting'."

Among the questions the council refused to accept at tonight's meeting were:

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism report that Thurrock Council has hired Camdor Global Advisers to value the solar farms, owned by Toucan, that the council has invested in.

They report the value of those solar farms is £200 million less than the council's investment. Can the portfolio holder confirm whether this is the case?

The Daily Mail and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism report that, between late 2018 and early 2019, Thurrock Council made payments of £138 million to companies linked to Liam Kavanagh. Can the portfolio holder explain what these payments were for?

Can the Leader confirm whether he ever met with Liam Kavanagh?

Tonight's meeting, which took place in the council's committee rooms because of the continued failure to refurbish the botched new the new council chamber, was concluded in 58 minutes. No formal mention was made of the Labour and Independent groups' absence, or reasons for it, by the Mayor, Cllr James Halden, who chaired the meeting.