THE former mayor of Redbridge quit the Conservative group before quickly withdrawing his resignation after being appointed to an influential commitee.

Tory member Cllr Jim O’Shea emailed his intention to leave the group to Tory councillors just ten minutes after Council Leader and Tory colleague Keith Prince emailed a list of this year’s committee appointments.

The email, sent out on May 17 at 5.07pm, listed Cllr O’Shea as a substitute on the Pension Fund Investment Panel, meaning he would only attend meetings if another Tory member could not.

A swift response from Cllr O’Shea, sent at 5.18pm, read: “I hereby resign from the group with immediate effect, Jim.”

But days later, on May 20 at 1.49am, Cllr O’Shea changed his mind, writing: “Thank you for your support. I have reconsidered my position and withdraw my resignation.”

Consequent committee lists obtained by the Guardian show that Cllr Prince swapped places with Cllr O’Shea to give the member for Monkhams ward a place on the pension fund panel.

An anonymous source close to the Conservative group said: “Jim is an experienced councillor and past mayor and he should have got something, but he didn’t and threw his toys out of the pram.”

Cllr O’Shea said: “You can’t leave a party unless you inform the chief executive or chief legal officer and I didn’t do that.”

Cllr Prince declined to confirm whether or not he was approached by the ex-mayor about his decision, but said: “I’m always happy to discuss people’s positions and what committees they sit on.”

“It’s not a matter of life and death of who sits on what committee.”