BANNING “TWITTER” AT COUNCIL MEETINGS IS NONSENSE
21 June 2011 by Visit Scunthorpe EditorsWe have received the following article submitted by Gary Day, here it is, unedited and published in full. Please visit his blog at http://garyday2011.wordpress.com/ - Oh that reminds me, Visit Scunthorpe will be running a live twitter feed from the council meeting on the 28th, using the hash tag #NLCM If you have an article you'd like to publish, email Editors@VisitScunthorpe.Com :-)
BANNING “TWITTER” AT COUNCIL MEETINGS IS NONSENSE
With a North Lincolnshire Full Council meeting due to take place on Tuesday 28th June at 6pm at Pittwood House, it’s worth examining the validity of the purported “Twitter Ban” that has been put in place by the new Conservative controlling group.
At the NLC Annual General Meeting on the 25 May 2011 one of the first things the new Conservative controlling Group did was to reject a Labour amendment moved by Councillor Mark Kirk and seconded by Councillor Len Foster. Part of their amendment (ITEM 6(j)) read: “in keeping up with the digital age this council recognises that both members and members of the public should be able to use social networking sites such as Twitter.”
It has been inferred has been that result of what occurred that day has effectively banned the use of mobile phones at these meetings; I would suggest that is not the case, what it clearly is, is a Conservative council who clearly purports to have one agenda, whilst carrying out another. When the amendment put is read it doesn’t say anything about the use of mobile phones, what it is clearly to do with is the “recognition” that both members and members of the public should be able to use social networking sites such as Twitter.
By the Conservative ruling group’s rejection of the amendment it is evident that whilst in power they don’t want to recognise the individual’s right to use social networking sites such as Twitter.” The Conservative group’s refusal to endorse the amendment was a meaningless act and within their first meeting as controlling group members showed them inept in regard to the fluency of their policy making as during the meeting their leaders kept referring to their group wanting to be more open, transparent and accountable to the public. Any argument that the use of such media whilst in the chamber during meetings would be detrimental to proceedings would be without evidential foundation as the use mobile phones has been going on at council meetings for a substantial period of time and has not to date prevented the conclusion of any council business.
In the last conversation that I had with Councillor Rob Waltham he inferred in a conversation regarding accountability and openness that the Conservative controlling group’s intention was to show council meetings on the internet. If this is the case, it just makes the events surrounding this subject even more farcical.
As it currently stands I would suggest that this Conservative ruling council has no authority in law to tell the public or even a council member what they can and can’t use their personal mobile phones for and as long as either council member or member of the public does not interfere with the proceedings there is nothing that they can do about it in law and therefore the ban is nonsensical.
Though the current Conservative ruling body at North Lincolnshire Council may believe it has unrestricted totalitarian authority, they would do well to remember that we live in a democratic society, by democratic rule under common law, and though they may think that they are the ruler’s, they are not – we both as private citizens and residents are.
Gary Day
http://garyday2011.wordpress.com/
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Comments
Are people who tweet so insecure that they can't have their minute by minute update of their daily dullness interrupted by an hour or so?
Are they so insecure that they can't stand the idea that somebody may run out of the meeting and get their tweet in 1st?
Pathetic people moaning about nothing,council chambers are places for serious work,debate and concentration on the job in hand,not on how you can word you next pithy twatter
I posted this article last year about the broadcasting of council meetings over the internet, in this day and age, and wanting to be 'open and transparent', surely it would cost a minimal amount to set up so expense wouldn't realy be a problem.
http://www.visitscunthorpe.com/ScunthorpeNews/Headline/Broadcasting-Of-Council-Meetings
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Making phone calls are also banned and sending texts and shopping online at full council meetings is banned. Listening to your favorite song is banned watching a movie is banned.
Doing anything on a mobile communication device is banned because it’s the device that is banned!
We need to get away from this petty argument and be sensible and logical.
Doing anything with a mobile communication device is a breach of the council rules and was brought in when all that mobile phones did was send/receive calls and texts.
Most of us know that these early mobile devices were not as silent as current mobile technology.
The Labour group submitted a stupid amendment. If it were me I would have submitted this amendment:
"in keeping up with the digital age this council recognizes that both members and members of the public should be able to use mobile communication devices in order to use sites such as Twitter."
The rule is ignorable anyway. It’s a council rule and I don’t see how they could justify a member of the public being ejected from a meeting if they bother no-one and don’t interfere with council business.
The amendment was put forward in a pointless way by a group just trying to grab headlines. The Tory group is just as ignorant for not keeping with the times. They told me at a meeting recently that the constitution is a document that must change with the times. Well how about they practice what they preach and change these old and now outdated rules.
Yes the rules need changing but the way the opposition is going about it is a waste of time. They are asking for it in a way they KNOW will be rejected.
Do it again and do it right Labour. Ask for an amendment to the rules like I have suggested above. It gives the Tory group no room to maneuver and you are seen to be doing something useful.
I agree with this article that Twitter should be a platform available to people in council meetings but the way that both Groups are dealing with this issue is pathetic.
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