Recently, we wrote this post about the underhand way the (minority) Tory ruling group and some senior officers have been pushing through the scheme to expand the Thurrock Council offices in New Road, Grays: Underhand and undemocratic. The scheme would result in a number of small local businesses, including the Angel Cafe, being forced out of their existing premises to face a very uncertain future. Thurrock Council have already purchased a number of the properties hosting these businesses.

Just when we thought this cabal of ruling group Tories couldn’t sink any lower, we saw this: Café owner reveals truth behind council leader’s cash in hand picture that has prompted controversy. The owner of the Angel Cafe, Sadik Alakirik, agreed to have his picture taken with the leader of Thurrock Council to show that despite the plans for the expansion of the council offices, his cafe was still open for business. What Sadik Alakirik wasn’t expecting was for this image being used to promote the re-development of the council offices on the council’s website. Understandably, there was considerable anger at this from local residents and opposition councillors and this forced the council to delete the image and stop using it to promote their vanity project.

What this shows is that it’s impossible to trust ruling group councillors and the cabal of senior officers they work with to not engage in underhand behaviour in order to promote their own vanity project. These people are behaving with a level of arrogance that clearly suggests they think they’re untouchable. They’re only untouchable if people turn a blind eye and let them get away with their behaviour. We strongly suspect from the mood music we’re hearing that the council won’t be able to get away with this kind of conduct for much longer…