By VickiM57,
On Monday 14 February an innocuous young man was threatened with expulsion from the public gallery at the Barnet cabinet meeting. His crime? Attempting to make a short film of proceedings on his phone.
How behind the times Barnet council shows itself to be. They act in a draconian manner to stop their own residents (to whom they are accountable) from using a piece of equipment that has become as everyday and routine as the pop-up toaster. Haven't they seen how people in the Middle East and North Africa are using social media to help them win their democracy?
I invite every resident coming to the council meeting at Hendon Town Hall next Tuesday 1 March to come with their cameraphones at the ready. Perhaps Brian Coleman will learn some manners if he knows that what he says will end up on YouTube for all the world to see before the night is out.
Oh, and who is this agreeing with the call for greater openness? This is a statement made today by none other than Eric Pickles, the Conservative Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government:
Vickim57 is a blogger, "well known trades unionist" and the heart and soul of most of the good things going on in the Political scene in Barnet. I have the utmost respect for Vicki and I will be writing to David Cameron to recommend her for an OBE shortly. Her blog is http://vickim57.blogspot.com/ - and I heartily recommend it to you, if you don't already know about it. I nicked this blog from her blog without telling her, because I am so tired I can't think and she says everything I would have written anyway.
On Monday 14 February an innocuous young man was threatened with expulsion from the public gallery at the Barnet cabinet meeting. His crime? Attempting to make a short film of proceedings on his phone.
How behind the times Barnet council shows itself to be. They act in a draconian manner to stop their own residents (to whom they are accountable) from using a piece of equipment that has become as everyday and routine as the pop-up toaster. Haven't they seen how people in the Middle East and North Africa are using social media to help them win their democracy?
I invite every resident coming to the council meeting at Hendon Town Hall next Tuesday 1 March to come with their cameraphones at the ready. Perhaps Brian Coleman will learn some manners if he knows that what he says will end up on YouTube for all the world to see before the night is out.
Oh, and who is this agreeing with the call for greater openness? This is a statement made today by none other than Eric Pickles, the Conservative Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government:
"Many councils are internet-savvy and stream meetings online, but some don't seem to have caught up with the times and are refusing to let bloggers or hyper-local news sites in. With local authorities in the process of setting next year's budget this is more important than ever.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Opening the door to new media costs nothing and will help improve public scrutiny. The greater powers and freedoms that we are giving local councils must be accompanied by stronger local accountability.
"We are in the digital age and [the] analogue interpretation of the press access rules is holding back a new wave of local scrutiny, accountability and armchair auditors."
Vickim57 is a blogger, "well known trades unionist" and the heart and soul of most of the good things going on in the Political scene in Barnet. I have the utmost respect for Vicki and I will be writing to David Cameron to recommend her for an OBE shortly. Her blog is http://vickim57.blogspot.com/ - and I heartily recommend it to you, if you don't already know about it. I nicked this blog from her blog without telling her, because I am so tired I can't think and she says everything I would have written anyway.
As well as deliberate "mass action" by residents recording (or pretending to record) at the council meeting on 1 March, I think that the council is regulated by the 'Disability Equality Duty', so it has to broadcast the precedings of the meeting.
ReplyDeleteThis means the signal can be picked up by hearing aids and so on, but also on £50-ish devices available on the internet.
The borough hopefully has someone who can spare £50, and is able to lash up a recording device to such a receiver - and can keep the whole thing in their pocket, or even receive the signal outside the Town Hall.
If the public is continually warned about holding up mobile phones at the meeting, perhaps they can take along other things - bananas, toothpaste tubes, copies of the agenda, whatever - and test the rules on those.
If you thought this regime could not behave in a more ludicrous way - it can. The public's efforts all helps to speed up its demise - even if we have no idea how that will eventually happen.
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Perhaps people would like to record being asked to stop recording on their phones at the meeting - at least we can assemble those snippets for YouTube, for the wider world to enjoy. Hopefully the Evening Standard would take up the story. Is there someone who is willing to receive people's files and edit them?
This rather knocks the Barnet regime's policy on the head, doesn't it?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/accesscouncilmeetings
Or maybe Lynne will say it is all because our cups of coffee are being laced with drugs, as Gadaffi has just informed the world.
I have been given a letter which interested readers of Roger's Organ may like to (separately) email, amended as desired, to Leader Lynne Hillan, and to the Democratic Services Manager:
ReplyDeleteQuery about current ban on public recording of Authority meetings
Please be kind enough to tell me if the Authority has received a communication from Local Government Minister Bob Neill recently.
I believe he has written to all councils, urging:
"greater openness, and calling on them to adopt a modern-day approach, so that credible community or 'hyper-local' bloggers and online broadcasters get the same routine access to council meetings as the traditional accredited media have."
Here is a reference to his letter:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/accesscouncilmeetings
You will hopefully accept that the Authority and its predecessors back to 1960 have never voted in favour of banning recording by members of the public.
The current ban has always relied on the fact that no positive vote has ever taken place to allow it.
Whether the Authority wishes to change its mind or not, is it accepted, please, that no vote need be taken, because there is no voted policy to reverse?
Does the Authority wish to reverse its current ban, please, perhaps effectively immediately?
Thank you for your urgent assistance in this matter.
Regards,