Basildon councillors have heated row at council meeting

A formal complaint has now been lodged after the former deputy leader of Basildon Council, Kerry Smith, invited Tory councillor Phil Turner “outside”.

The complaint to Basildon Council’s standards board was submitted yesterday by Mr Turner, after the pair became embroiled in the spat.

Councillor Jeff Henry was seen moving his chair away from the desk in order to stop the pair coming face-to-face.

Both Mr Smith and Mr Turner have accused each other of bullying.

Phil Turner, councillor of the Billericay West ward, said: “I was continuously heckled and interrupted by both Jack Ferguson and Kerry Smith.

“I was pointing out the differences in policy and the hypocrisy of what previous opposition speakers had professed during the time speaking to the reports being presented on the night.

“I was then told I was lying, to which I replied “you’re a joke”. You can’t have that sort of behaviour, it’s not acceptable.”

Due to camera angles, councillor Smith is not seen to “spring to his feet”, as Mr Turner alleges, but background microphone noise can be heard.

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Mr Smith is heard to say: “Come on, outside. If you’ve got something to say, say it to my face outside. You’re a bottlejob and a liar.”

Kerry Smith added: “I wasn’t asking for a fight, it was good manners in taking the issue outside of the meeting.

“If I wanted to bump him on the nose, I could have done it there and then. He was being personal and nasty, it wasn’t about politics at all.

“He tried to bully officers and councillors, but I wasn’t having it.”

The meeting, chaired by Tory Andrew Schrader, was adjourned to “let tempers cool.”

Mr Schrader had repeatedly attempted to solve the squabble, and said: “Come on members, behave. It’s not necessary. We don’t solve these things with our fists.”

The row broke out during the housing and estate renewal committee last Tuesday.