UKIP has threatened to take Basildon Council’s administration to court after claiming it is acting illegally over allocation of committee seats.

Linda Allport-Hodge, leader of the borough’s Ukip group, could bring a judicial review against ruling Conservatives because Ukip feels it has not been given enough representation on influential committees.

Ukip members stormed out of last month’s full council meeting after the allocations were decided.

But Bala Mahendran, the council’s chief executive, has since claimed the allocation was legally sound.

However, Mrs Allport-Hodge has sought advice from the Local Government Association and Ukip’s head office and has passed the matter to solicitors.

She said: “We’re waiting for our own external legal advice and what happens next pretty much depends on the outcome of that. We’ve just come through the most disproportionate general election in history.

People have voted for Ukip, and if people are bothered to put their shoes on, go to the polling station and put a cross next to our name, then I’m going to make sure we get every seat we deserve.

“If it comes back that we’re 100 per cent right, the only way the Conservatives will stop this going to judicial review is if the council sit down and demonstrate to us how it arrived at the figures and what way was it fair.”

Ukip claims Conservatives blocked its legal entitlement to a seat on the planning committee, and gave preferential treatment to smaller political groups.

Mr Mahendran said: “Given the level of detail provided in the challenge paper from the Ukip group, I, as chief executive, committed to further review the position and report back to the next meeting.

“I have nowobtained external legal advice from leading counsel.

The advice confirms my original position, that the order paper as presented and adopted at the annual council meeting is fully compliant with the relevant legislation as to political proportionality of the various committees of the council.

“I have written to each elected councillor to advise them of this position.’’ The council is under minority Conservative control, with the party having 18 members.

Ukip is the largest opposition with 11 councillors, while Labour has nine, the Independence group two each and the Lib Dems and Green Party one each.

Much of Ukip’s concern related to Phil Rackley, who recently joined the Green Party, being given two committee seats – on planning and overview and scrutiny.

The Tory administration offered him both places as Geoff Williams, the only Lib Dem councillor, turned down his allocation.

Taxpayer cash ‘wasted’

THE council’s leader claims Ukip is wasting taxpayers’ money over the issue.

Tory Phil Turner says the time and cash spent looking into Ukip’s claims could have been better spent on other matters.

He said: “If would have been better if Linda Allport-Hodge sought this legal advice before the council meeting, so we could have had discussions and tried to resolve it. She’s stirred up a load of activity with the chief executive, but for what gain?

“She is in meltdown.

She’s got a party that’s unruly. She’s trying to lead a rabble.

“This is taxpayers’ money Ukip is meddling with.

“With what she’s doing, there has been a loss in terms of officers’ time and a real money loss as well.’’