An open letter to the Thurrock Independents Leader, Councillor Luke Spillman.

I read with interest your open letter to me and the Thurrock Labour Group.

I am both surprised and disappointed by the tone taken in this letter, and in the media statements that have accompanied it.

I would not normally respond to a publicity device for the Thurrock Independents.

However, given that it deals with two crucial issues – Orsett Hospital and the future control of Thurrock Council – I believe that it is important that I set out to Thurrock residents my position and how I intend to move forwards.

Firstly, it is misleading in the extreme to state that the policy of the Thurrock Independents has been unqualified opposition to the closure of Orsett Hospital.

It was recently revealed that as late as March 2018, the former leader of the Thurrock Independents put his name to a letter which gave assent to the closure of Orsett Hospital moving ahead.

This was done in an official capacity as the chair of the Thurrock Council Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as part of the joint scrutiny committee which was formed alongside other local authorities to review the proposals.

This is not something that a Labour chair of a Health Scrutiny Committee would have done, nor something that would have been done by a party intent on keeping Orsett Hospital open.

I believe that an apology is owed by the Thurrock Independents to the residents of Thurrock for this action, which helped facilitate the process to close Orsett Hospital.

The Thurrock Labour Party has spent well over a year opposing the current plans for the closure of Orsett Hospital.

Collectively, we have campaigned, we have organised rallies, we have collected paper petition responses, we have advertised an online petition, we have attended CCG information events, we have objected through the scrutiny process, we have objected through the JointHOSC process, we have brought motions to council, we have asked multiple questions at council and we have constantly sought to bring in as many people as possible to help the campaign.

Following the decision that the closure will proceed, the Thurrock Labour Group will now assess how we continue the fight against Orsett Hospital’s closure. Let us be clear that this decision makes our task far more difficult.

We must use this time to gain the support and momentum to keep Orsett Hospital open. It will not be an easy fight, but it is one that we are determined to continue.

Oliver Gerrish Leader, Thurrock Labour Group