THURROCK Burma Star Association are a step closer to being granted the Freedom of the Borough despite the majority of Conservatives on Thurrock Council voting against it.

At a meeting of the full council last night, councillor Carl Morris, chairman of the Labour group on Thurrock Council, said he was proud to be bringing the motion forward and asked for “consensus” on the vote.

However, when it came to the vote all the Tories, except councillor Eddie Hardiman and councillor Neil Rockliffe, who both abstained, voted against the motion.

BNP councillor Emma Colgate and Independent councillor John Purkiss both voted for the motion meaning it was carried 22 to 20.

Councillor Morris said: “Just a week or so from Remembrance Sunday, I had hoped for cross-party support for this and I'm completely baffled as to the reason why Tory Councillors tried to prevent the Council honouring our local war veterans.

"I'm sure the people of Thurrock will share my total disbelief and bewilderment at their actions.

"They need to explain why they tried to vote this down and what the Burma Star Association has done to offend them?"

To qualify as a member, an ex-serviceman, ex-servicewoman or nurse must have been awarded the Burma Campaign Star for service in Burma during World War II.

The Thurrock branch was formed in 1961 and has done great work supporting its members ever since with regular welfare visits and a helping hand when needed.

Councillor Morris added: “It’s a great source of comfort and support for veterans and their families to know the association is always there. As membership is exclusive to those who served in the Burma campaign, the association will eventually cease to exist.”

The motion was for the Council to resolve to convene a special meeting to consider a motion to confer the Freedom of the Borough on the Thurrock Branch of the Burma Star Association.

Tory Councillor Neil Rockliffe, who abstained in his vote, said he chose to do so because the motion was worded “wrongly”.

He said: “This is one of those issues where the motion was worded wrongly.

“If Carl Morris was really concerned about the association then he would have put a motion forward to confer the Freedom of the Borough and not for a meeting to be convened.”

However, legally the motion must be passed by not less than two-thirds of the members voting on the resolution at a specially convened meeting.

This means that it is not possible to move a motion at an ordinary meeting of the Council.Often the meeting to vote on a resolution conferring freedom is convened to take place on the same day as an ordinary meeting but timed to precede the ordinary meeting.