A MISTAKE by a Thurrock Council Freedom of Information officer has led to a major row between political parties ahead of Thursday's local by-election in Ockendon.

Reform politicians and their Labour rivals have gone head-to-head after claims in election material by Reform, who have two candidates up for election, that the borough Labour party have been in 'secret talks' about moving making the borough a new Greater London authority.

The claim has led to face-to-face rows on the ward's streets between canvassers, counter-claims of lies being spread and bitchy and aggressive exchanges on social media between leading lights of both groups. Reform claim they had written proof of the talks.

But a red-faced apology from Thurrock Council's senior legal officer this afternoon (Tuesday, 29 April) has shown the storm was created by an officer's typing error.

Reform put in a Freedom of Information request asking what, if any, steps, the council had taken and if any discussions had taken place between Thurrock Labour, other Essex councils and London boroughs and the capital's mayor, Sadiq Khan.

The FOI department at Thurrock sent back a reply, which can be read in full via this link.

It details discussions that have taken place between Essex authorities including Southend unitary and Essex County Councils.

In answer to a Reform question: "3. Any discussions or correspondence the Leader of Essex County Council and the Leader of Thurrock Council have had about Thurrock Council potentially becoming a London Borough?" the council sent back the following reply: "3. There has been correspondence between the Leader of Essex County Council and the Leader of Thurrock Council regarding Thurrock Council potentially becoming a London Borough."

That prompted Reform to claim proof that talks had been talking place and it became a major part of their electoral strategy.

However, today in answer to Thurrock Nub News questions about exactly what had taken place, Dan Fenwick, the Executive Director of  Corporate Services, says the answer that was issued to Reform on Aa April should have said 'there has been no correspondence…'.

In a statement to Nub News he says: "Unfortunately, the Council's FOI response included a factual error for which I apologise as the director responsible for information governance. 

"As was clear from the disclosed documents, which formed the original response, the written answer should have read: "There has been no correspondence between the Leader of Essex County Council and the Leader of Thurrock Council regarding Thurrock Council potentially becoming a London Borough".

"We will update the response published on our website and to the person who made the original request. We apologise for any confusion this error may have created."

The council has confirmed it had not made Reform aware of the error prior to the Nub News questions.