Occasional Nub News columnist and regular local commentator on Thurrock Council affairs, Peter Perrin, has been angered this week by the switch from Labour to Tory of a borough councillor and he delivers his scathing personal opinion on the merits of some of those elected to local office.

____________________ WHILE the defections of ex-members of UKIP/Thurrock Independents, Graham Snell, Luke Spillman, Jack Duffin and Allen Mayes, to the Conservative Party were disgraceful acts of betrayal by egotistic, self-promoting, money-grabbing scallywags, the defection of Cllr Qaisar Abbas caps them all for deception, sheer hypocrisy and betrayal of the Labour Group, members of the Thurrock Labour Party and others who voted for him as a Labour councillor. It even surpasses the defection of another Labour-elected self server, Cllr Abbie Akinbohun. Cllr Abbas said: "I am left with no choice except to resign from the Labour Party. Thurrock Labour is riddled with bullying, discrimination, islamophobia and nepotism. "I will continue to fight for and protect the best interests of residents of Purfleet-on-Thames, West Thurrock and South Stifford and wider communities I have worked with over the years as a Labour councillor." Cllr Abbas decides to quit the Labour Party and join the Tories immediately after failing to be re-selected to stand as a Labour councillor in the May 2022 Local Government elections. I can only deduce that had Cllr Abbas been selected by the Labour Party to contest his seat we would have heard nothing of his allegations. Cllr Abbas, prove your allegations and name those members of the Thurrock Labour Party you say are guilty of bullying, discrimination, islamophobia and nepotism. If you decline, do not be surprised if it is concluded that you are using your Islamic ethnicity as a shield from criticism by accusing your critics of Islamophobia. Shame on you. In my opinion, your decision to defect to the Conservatives was motivated by nothing other than pique at not being selected to stand for re-election as a Labour councillor. Your decision says more about the failings of your character than it does about your perceived failings of the Thurrock Labour Party. Cllr Abbas, your scurrilous and unfounded accusations are unworthy of the gentleman I thought you were. Finally, Cllr Abbas I am inclined to the view that your claim that you "will continue to fight for and protect the best interests of residents of Purfleet-on-Thames, West Thurrock and South Stifford and wider communities" sounds somewhat hollow and would be a truer reflection of your motive to defect if it were amended to say: "I will continue to fight for and protect MY best interests. Full stop."