LABOUR were challenged to "seize their chance" as a political row broke out over which party would take control of decision making committees.

In a bid to stop the group forming an "unholy alliance" with Ukip and the Wickford Independents, Basildon Council's ruling Tories offered Labour an olive branch.

The Conservatives made a list ditch attempt to stop Ukip gaining any power by offering seven out of nine committee chairman positions to Labour.

However, Labour stuck to its pact with the other two opposition groups and pushed through a motion which saw the Tories ousted from all chairmanship roles.

It means the Conservatives, which run the council as a minority administration and hold all cabinet positions, could struggle to get policies passed over the next year.

Addressing Labour during a heated council meeting on Thursday evening, David Dadds, Tory councillor for Billericay East, said: "You have said words, let’s see your action, or is this a coalition, you decide.

“You’ve said how you wish for Labour to serve, will you stand up and chair the committees?

“Do they really want to serve with Ukip members who they have openly criticised throughout the year, where they have been horrified by comments about Paris and their attitude.

“How can they now be ‘Brothers in Arms’ and be comrades.”

Gavin Callaghan, Labour leader, denied suggestions his party was abandoning its principles by agreeing to the committee structure.

He said: “Labour hears the public, we understand what they want and we have responded in a responsible way.

“While this is an extraordinary paper for Basildon Council, it’s entirely ordinary by district council standards. All around Essex and across the country, councils routinely vote year after year for order papers that give opposition members the chairs of committees.

“We believe this is a more effective approach.”

Linda Allport Hodge, leader of the Ukip group, hit out at the Tories for “failing to put past differences aside.”

After Ukip made big gains in the 2014 election, the Tories offered the group two cabinet positions without specific responsibilities.

A year ago later council leader Phil Turner failed to repeat the offer, telling the Echo he could no longer with Ukip following a string of disagreements over regeneration in the borough.

Mrs Allport-Hodge said: “It saddens me that I am presenting a paper that reflects the Tories inability to put their differences aside and work in the interests of local people.

“In the recent elections, local people once again decided that no single party should have an overall majority on the council.

“It is therefore incumbent upon us all in this chamber to accept the will of the local electorate, and set aside our differences.

“To do this, all political parties need to demonstrate a maturity of will to embrace a different way of working.

“I’ve said before in this chamber, that politics in Basildon is broken and has been for some time.

“Let’s reinvent the way we engage with each other and the public.”