A LABOUR member has taken the helm at Thurrock Council, after the party struck a controversial deal with two disgruntled Tories.

John Kent rose to power at the latest meeting of the borough’s full council.

Two independent Tories and the sole BNP councillor backed Mr Kent’s leadership bid, so he could oust incumbent Tory council leader Garry Hague by 25 votes to 23.

Mr Kent’s coup was made possible after he secured the support of the newly-formed Concerned Conservat-ives group, made up of Stuart St Clair-Haslam and Anne Cheale.

He had nominated Mrs Cheale for mayor, but denied any deal with the BNP’s Emma Colgate had taken place.

Mr Kent said: “To be leader of Thurrock Council is really pretty humbling and quite daunting, but I am absolutely relishing the task ahead.

“I hope, over the coming months, I can prove I am more than capable of moving Thurrock forward.”

Mr Hague said Labour, which lost the recent council elections by one seat, had “cheated” democracy. He added: “Had we failed at the local elections, we would have been magnanimous in defeat, but we were successful.

“Democracy has been cheated. The people of Thurrock have been cheated.”

In his first act as leader, Mr Kent declared the flag of St George would be flown from the Civic Offices during the World Cup.

He also urged residents to display the flag outside their homes and on their cars, and told taxi drivers he would enable them to fly flags from their cars, which is normally not allowed.

Mr Kent said: “It would be fantastic to have a sea of red and white and St George’s flags right across Thurrock as we all get behind England.

“I’ve asked the licensing authorities to turn a blind eye to those taxi drivers who wish to display their support for England by flying the flag from their cabs during the World Cup.”