Right to Record Council Meetings - At Last

In October last year I seconded the following motions at  East Riding of Yorkshire Council Full Council:

9 October 2013

NOTICE OF MOTION UNDER PROCEDURE RULE 14.6

That, in the interest of transparency and democracy, this Authority agrees to install and maintain equipment to officially record video, with sound, at all parts of Council and Committee meetings that are open to public attendance.  Further, that all such official recordings are easily accessible on the Authority’s website

9 October 2013

NOTICE OF MOTION UNDER PROCEDURE RULE 14.6

That, in the interest of transparency and democracy, this Authority agrees to allow personal electronic devices ie mobile phones, recording equipment, pagers, cameras or similar devices to be switched on and used at all Council and Committee meetings.

Both motions were defeated in Full Council by the Ruling Conservative Group.



At last we as a Council have been forced to allow transparency to enter our chambers. From today members of the public can record all meetings at East Riding of Yorkshire Council that are open to the public without fear of being removed from that meeting for doing so. My hope is that the Council will again look into the move to the 21^st Century and record meetings and make them freely available to the public who are unable to attend meetings for a variety of reasons but pay for them.



This is what I blogged in October 2013:



http://cllrshelaghfinlay.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/transparency-democracy-local-councils.html



LOCAL GOVERNMENT Secretary Eric Pickles has signed an order giving anyone the right to record council meetings.

The move will stop any council trying to prevent filming on grounds such as health and safety.

Mr Pickles, a former leader of Bradford Council, said: “Half a century ago, Margaret Thatcher championed a new law to allow the press to make written reports of council meetings.

“We have updated her analogue law for a digital age.”

He added: “Local democracy needs local journalists and bloggers to report and scrutinise the work of their council, and increasingly, people read their news via digital media.

“There is now no excuse for any council not to allow these new rights.

“Parliament has changed the law, to allow a robust and healthy local democracy.”