A SENIOR Tory will make a public apology to a political opponent after being accused of making abusive comments.
 

John Dornan, Basildon Council’s cabinet member for the environment, will make the “unreserved public apology” at a meeting of the full council on Thursday April 18 to Labour councillor Bill Archibald.
 

It comes after Mr Dornan was alleged to have made ageist remarks which were “extremely offensive and hurtful” about the Labour stalwart during a discussion with Labour’s Pitsea councillor Gavin Callaghan.
 

The comments were said to have been made during a discussion between councillors Callaghan and Dornan ahead of a meeting of the environment and scrutiny committee on Wednesday March 13.
Mr Callaghan claims Mr Dornan said that the only thing Mr Archibald - who was not present at the time - had left to do “was to die”.
 

The Labour councillor also claims the senior Tory said "if there was an OAP equivalent to childline, I would ring it to report the Labour Party" referring to Mr Archibald being out on the campaign trail ahead of the county council elections.
 

Mr Callaghan reported his political rival to Basildon Council’s standards board.
 

But, ahead of any investigation taking place, Mr Dornan met with the council’s monitoring officer Gerry Levelle and offered to make the apology.
 

Mr Callaghan said: “The Labour Group was disappointed that councillor Dornan did not have the courage to admit his mistakes sooner but was forced into this decision at the last minute by the overwhelming evidence against him.
 

"His decision to finally do the right thing is welcomed but it has left a bitter taste in the mouths of Basildon's senior citizens who continue to offer a great deal to Basildon's civic life and who deserve far more respect that Cllr Dornan displayed.”
 

However, Mr Dornan remained adamant he did not make “ageist” remarks. He accused Mr Callaghan of taking “political banter” exchanged between the pair out of context.
 

He said: “Nothing that was said was intended to cause Bill any harm and if it did I want to make amends.
 

“But comments I made were made privately.
 

“There used to be a time when you go have a private discussion with Labour or go to the pub to talk about things, but Gavin Callaghan decided to make a private conversation public for political gain.
 

“It’s a really sad indictment of our politics and it’s for reasons like this that people don’t vote.”