FRUSTRATED group leaders on Tendring Council walked out of a cabinet meeting after being told they could not continue asking questions.

Cabinet meetings are held in public and opposition group leaders are invited to comment on decisions, but are not allowed a vote.

Joy Broderick, leader of the Holland Residents’ Association group, and Ukip leader Mark Stephenson left the council’s cabinet meeting on Friday after being told by council leader Neil Stock they could not ask any further questions about the proposed budget.

He criticised councillors for trying to treat the meeting as a “scrutiny panel”, and also hit out at Labour leader Ivan Henderson for wasting the cabinet’s time by making a “25-minute party political broadcast” rather than making a statement on the agenda items being discussed.

Mr Stock said he decided to cut short further discussion on the budget after Mrs Broderick “went off topic”, but she lambasted the decision as “ridiculous”. He then said it was “tough” they could not ask further questions.

“It is a cabinet meeting at the end of the day,” said Mr Stock.

“I’m happy to hear the comments and views of group leaders, but it’s not appropriate that they dominate the debate, or have histrionics and hissy fits and strop in and strop out.

“It isn’t conducive to good decision-making – we have got to make some serious decisions here on behalf of Tendring residents about how we are spending their money.”

Mr Henderson, who did not leave the meeting, still criticised Mr Stock’s attitude.

“We previously got to the stage where opposition members would not attend cabinet because of this attitude by the leader – we are going to get back to that same situation again,” he said.

“The attitude of you today is not good at all. I spend time coming over here and if I can’t ask questions, then there’s no point me coming here.”