Transparent Council?

Last month Councillor Liam Maxwell, a Conservative representing the Eton and Castle Ward, proposed making the RBWM the most transparent council in the country by allowing Council meetings to be recorded for the public.  
The motion was PASSED last week to allow members of the public to video the council meetings! This is good news for everyone.  Especially considering what happened last year at a RBWM Council meeting when political blogger CounterCulture attempted to record a meeting. The reason the blogger was told videoing was not allowed, as you can hear from Mayor Cat Bursnall, was ‘Data Protection’ even though it was a public meeting!   It's too bad Mayor Cat obviously had no idea why it was not allowed and had to look for an answer from somewhere else.


Of course it is probably no coincidence the change to allow recording occurred at the very same time the Secretary Eric Pickles from the Department for Communities & Local Government issued a press release stating: "Councils should open up their public meetings to local news 'bloggers' and routinely allow online filming of public discussions as part of increasing their transparency."

So fellow bloggers, get out your cameras! Let's put this new policy to the test!

And dear Councillor Maxwell - never fear the Thames Tattler will be keeping her eye on you too. Though the proposal to allow recording of council meetings was a good one, it does not excuse you from your lackluster attendance over the last year.... Now that you know you may be recorded, your empty seat will be noticed all the more.