IN an impassioned plea, a borough resident has called on the senior administration of Thurrock Council and its councillors to launch a public inquiry into the collapse of its finances.

The appeal to the conscience of senior Thurrock Conservatives and members of the Tory group is not a new one – they have already rejected an appeal by opposition councillors for an inquiry.

In July Tory councillors backed a statement by their leader, Cllr Andrew Jefferies, who said his party believed that the Best Value Inspection (BVI) of Thurrock's financial failure, undertaken by government-appointed commissioners, was an adequate inquiry.

The call for an inquiry, put by the Labour group and supported by independents, went to a casting vote by Mayor Cllr Susan Little, and was lost 24-25.

And a separate, online petition handed in by independent councillor Gary Byrne at full council on 27 September appears likely to do little more than gather dust as it metaphorically sits in a drawer. However, councillors have been told they will get an update on it at the November meeting, due on Wednesday, 29 November.

Cllr Byrne handed over the petition saying he was acting on behalf of residents and the petition organiser, John Radford.

He quoted recent precedent at a planning committee meeting when members were advised by the Tory vice-chair that they 'needed to act because of a petition from residents which contained around 4,000 signatures'.

"So", added Cllr Byrne, "this contains more than 250 pages with more than 5,500 signatures. Will you listen to the will of people or continue to cherry pick to suit your own political agendas?

"This petition demands an independent inquiry." 

The latest petition, with more than 2,000 written signatures, was gathered by disaffected residents in Corringham and Stanford-le-Hope over a number of weeks.

It was presented to the council's cabinet at their recent meeting by Kabul Sandu, one of those who collected names.

Mr Sandu and his colleagues and fellow signature collectors, who included Stanford East and Corringham Town councillor John Cecil, had originally hoped to present their petition to the full council – but they were initially told it would not be accepted because it was too similar to the one accepted on residents' behalf and presented by Cllr Byrne.

That provoked a lobby of protest from several ward councillors and the decision of the Legal and Monitoring Officer, Ms Asmat Hussain, was eventually set aside with the caveat it would have to be presented to cabinet alone.

That was agreed and Mr Sandu stepped up to hand it over – and he did not mince his words.

His address to the Conservative councillors was: "This is a petition of the Thurrock residents, by Thurrock residents, for Thurrock residents.

"We demand that the council hold a public enquiry into the council's financial collapse.

"Should any persons be guilty of negligence - evidence obtained should be handed to the police for criminal action.

"Why? The bankruptcy of Thurrock is different from other councils in the scale of its one and a half billion-pound squander and the manner in which it was incurred.

"This is the council whose chief finance officer met a businessman in a salubrious London hotel.

"Why there? Were any minutes taken? What agreements were made?

"Between 2016 and 20022 who signed off contracts? Him only? The chief executive? Others?

"For the sake of accountability, we need to know. Have they gone with golden handshakes?

"Where was the oversight by the finance and scrutiny committees.

"Were they ignorant of financial risk, incompetent or criminally negligent.

"Did they see nothing; hear nothing; say nothing?

"Did any of them ask 'What the clucking hell is going on? What the cluck have you done?

"The best value report said some members and officers concealed information to avoid public scrutiny. A conspiracy? Residents say we need a proper public inquiry.

"We residents have a £1.5 billion albatross around our necks.

Cllr Jefferies thanked Mr Sandu for his heartfelt comments.

"Our rates have gone up ten per cent. We are paying for less services. We're angry.

"The new sheriff in town, Dr Smith, means more cuts and asset sales down the line.

"The council borrowed seven times more than its income. Why? We are paying for their squander.

"That's why we demand an enquiry.

"We say to councillors here - and to those not here - 'buckle up, take a hard look in the mirror. Regardless of the team scarf you are wearing, do the moral thing, the right thing - vote for a public enquiry.

"Residents deserve openness, transparency, and accountability."

On receipt of his petition, finance portfolio holder Cllr Graham Snell said: "You do raise some points there which have been levelled at us since this council fell into the problems that it has had.

"We will look at the petition and will give it due regard and in good time we will come back with our response."

Cllr Jefferies added: "Thank you for your petition, which we will have to verify. And thank you for your heartfelt words."