I have decided that in line with Council rules to allow all accredited journalists to film proceeding of the OSP.
I interpret the term accredited journalist to include Citizen Journalists i.e. members of the public who wish to make and transmit video, sound or textual recordings of the meeting.
I will therefore allow anyone who advises me that they are citizen journalist to record the proceedings of Thanet Council’s OSP without obstruction.
This decision is in compliance with a letter sent to all Council Leaders and Chief Executives by Bob Neil, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Department for Communities and Local Government in February 2011 which states that in order to promote stronger local accountability the public should be “able to film and record in meetings without obstruction”.
Mr Neil’s letter also suggests that Thanet Council’s recent decision to throw myself and Christine Tongue out the Council meeting last week was wrong. He says that
“recent stories about people being ejected from council meetings for blogging, tweeting or filming … is at odds with the fundamentals of democracy and I want to encourage all councils to take a welcoming approach to those who want to bring local news stories to a wider audience”.
I am very surprised that the Chief Executive and Leader of the Council have never brought Mr Neil’s important letter to the attention of the Council. This is a very serious mistake on their part.
I am also extremely surprised that the forthcoming review of the Council’s Probity and Reputation following the gaoling of ex-Council Leader Sandy Ezekiel for misconduct in public office and the on-going problems with councillor behaviour at meetings, does not include any reference at all to the recording of public meetings. I wonder what the powers that be at Thanet Council have to hide?”
My decision to adopt a liberal and open approach to the recording of the OSP will I hope, be a step in the right direction, and I expect the Council to be supportive of my decision.
Photographs taken by councillor Ian Driver at the meeting on 18 April showing angry exchanges between 2 councillors. One councillor had to put herself between the two to prevent a fight
Bob Neil’s letter to Council Leaders and Chief Executives can found here
The reason McGonigal and Hart haven't bought Bob Neil's letter to the Council or complied with it is because they don't open democracy and proper scrutiny of what they are doing. If TDC was a company and we were the shareholders, the senior management team would have been sacked years ago.
ReplyDeleteEveritt is an absolute disgrace who clearly can't control himself. What will the revered Labour leadership do about his behaviour, threatening a man who is unwell and who then has to be defended by his wife. I thought it was the exclusive domain of Ezekiel to go around threatening people, although very few seemed to have witnessed this alleged behaviour. Will Everitt be made to apologise or will this be yet another standards complaint.
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ReplyDeleteYou might be right Simon... opps I mean John
DeleteWhy has this been removed?
DeleteJohn when anonymous commentators like yourself make offensive comments about real people I normally delete them.
DeleteHave you missed my name at the begining of my posts Michael.... It is fairly evident.
DeleteMr Hamilton please tell me how I could have personally engineered the bad tempered exchanges, shouting, personal insults that brought the Council meeting into disrepute last week. Please tell me how I could have personally engineered two councillors to almost come to blows. Perhaps I have super human power. I simply took photographs of the events as they unfolded in front me, so that the public can see what their elected representatives do. My reward for promoting open and accountable government was to be thrown out of the meeting following a vote of councillors to remove me. The same thing happened to journalist Christine Tongue.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't like how I do politics you could always stand for election your self instead of sniping from your armchair
John, I'm not sure you're right here. From what has been said, it was a slanging match between Labour and Conservative when Everitt lost his temper and went across the chamber to assault Thomlinson, a sick man. Everitt would obviously have physically hit him if Mrs Thomlinson had not got between them. The criminal offence of assault does not require a punch to be landed and if anything had happened to Thomlinson God forbid, Everitt could have been on a murder rap. I don't think you can say Driver or Christine Tongue had anything to do with Everitts appalling behaviour. They merely tried to record the event which is their right and duty. They should both have allowed security to physically eject them and then called the Police themselves. I used to think like you, but Driver is being proved right.
ReplyDeleteI hope Cllr Thomlinson has reported Everitt to the Police.
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DeleteMr Hammilton, you do us no favours by continually attacking Driver. He is only doing what our lot should be doing.
ReplyDeleteCllr Driver knows that sessions are recorded by TDC and available to view later on the council website, he knows that TDC have a policy of not allowing people to record sessions and yet he was party to Christine Tongue bringing in a camera. Now the snippet I have seen leads me to believe that the camera didn't come out until later in the session, it only got turned on when the debate into Pleasurama got heated. This isn't someone recording the whole session so that the public can view it in greater detail and quicker than TDC accomplish the task, this smacked of a political stunt by a TDC Councillor who in my opinion has a masters degree in political stunt taking... If Christine Tongue (who I don't know, and may well be card carrying Journalist with professional accreditation) wishes to record TDC Sessions I am sure she is more than welcome to apply to the relevant body and ask for approval.
ReplyDeleteMr One O Clock I understand that the council recording equipment was not working on the 18th April. In any event the Council's rules on filming are totally out of step with Government policy and the policy of 100s of councils across he country. Why is Thanet out of step in not allowing the public to film? Do they have anything to hide? Yes the bad behaviour of its councillors
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ReplyDeleteMy answer to Driver appeared above, sadly it was removed, for reasons unknown.
DeleteAs we know Driver, you intended to film no matter what occured in the chamber, interesting that you managed to field your publicity stunt and engineer your removal, thus ensuring that no representation was present in the council for the group you claim to aggree with, FORS.
DeleteBut then your self promotion is the ONLY outcome for any of your actions, or the bandwagons you leap onto with monotonous regularity.
Cllr Driver:
ReplyDeleteDid you know the equipment was broken prior to the 18th?
Did you know that Christine Tongue was taking a camera to the meeting?
Did you know whether Christine Tongue had asked permission to film?
Did you know that Christine Tongue would only film the part of the meeting about the Pleasurama development?
Do you know whether Christine Tongue is an accredited card carrying Journalist?
Whether TDC policy is out of step with other Councils is neither here nor there. TDC publishes video feeds of its sessions and they are available to view online, so there doesn't seem to be much in the way of hiding anything, and as for the behaviour of it's Councillors I have viewed footage of YOU in chamber that I and others would consider BAD, so before you start throwing stones check your own glasshouse!
If you as a Councillor are unhappy with the way TDC treats the public with regards to filming sessions do what a normal Councillor would do and table a motion to get the policy looked at with the proposal of overturning it and allow public the right to film etc. In general I am for the public being able to record/tweet/blog etc in Council meetings, the issue arises when people edit/cut/modify sound/video for personal political gain.
when councillors were laughing at their own jokes when they tried to get my mother and disabled partner evicted from their home in Manston back in 2009, we managed to get hold of the official tape recording, but, alas, the cruel laughter was removed.
DeleteI would like to hear the trigger that led to Cllr Everitt get up from his seat, but I doubt we will.
All power to your elbow Councillor Driver. We do need recorded votes though, as it is not always clear on video tape how councillors vote.
Then he should table a motion, have the policy overhauled and with the backing of Council have the rules changed in accordance with recommendations from Central Government. Until he does that he is doing his electorate a dis-service by having himself ejected from Council chambers and removing himself from the ability to represent the people of Northwood Ward who elected him, the greater Ramsgate populace and the greater still electorate of Thanet.
DeleteYou may wish "all power to his elbow"...
I am not privvy to the alliances Cllr Driver may have forged with other councillors, if indeed he can count on anyone in there? It is only your opinion that Ian is "doing his electorate a dis-service by having himself ejected form Council chambers". Unless of course you know more than I?
DeleteI find it difficult to work out how once quite properly ejected from the chamber, having preplanned and executed his plan to be removed, Driver could represent anyone?
DeleteAnd lets not forget that Driver has already stabbed those who voted for him in the back by dishonestly claiming to represent a political party, then cynically resigning from that party, and arrogantly refusing to return to the electorate, standing for what he REALLY is, an opportunistic, dishonest and self promoting chancer. So much for accountability of councillors.
To answer your questions "1 o'clock Rob" before Drivers bullshit appears,
Did you know the equipment was broken prior to the 18th? - No
Did you know that Christine Tongue was taking a camera to the meeting? - Yes
Did you know whether Christine Tongue had asked permission to film? - Yes
Did you know that Christine Tongue would only film the part of the meeting about the Pleasurama development? - Past experience suggests yes
Do you know whether Christine Tongue is an accredited card carrying Journalist? - She isn't.
John and Rob, I think the problem we have is much deeper seated than you are aware. Rob, you say that Driver should change the rules. Without support there is no chance especially with officers who don't want them changed and who change the rules themselves without ever reporting to the Members. John, You say that Driver has stabbed those that supported him in the back. You have to accept that our Labour Party members represent themselves for their own personal agenda's and aggrandisement, not any particular political party. The bullying is very obvious and Driver would not have experienced that until he was elected. He is doing his electorate a far greater service away from the bullies. If he is self promoting then so be it. Aren't all politicians!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a naive view yours is Anon8:56.
DeleteSimply put, Driver lied when he ran as a Labour candidate. Knowing that as a politician he is a proven inadequate, the ONLY way he could secure power for himself was to dishonestly run as a Labour councillor, and when the opportunity arose, resign, hold the balance of power, and blackmail the council to gain chair of the OSP.
If i have that wrong, and he is doing the residents who voted for him such a good service, why does the coward Driver not resign his seat, and seek re-election under his true colours.....
What I don't think has been covered here, is, was there an announcement at the beginning of this controversial council meeting that the recorder was broken (strange that?)?
DeleteIf there was, what was the reaction of the leadership? And was any attempt made to ask anyone present if they would take a recording, accredited or not?
There was an announcement at the beginning that the meeting would be recorded and available within a few days on the council website. I did not intend to film but when I thought a fight was about to break out I then got out my camera. This seeems to be missing from the TDC recording which stops half way through the meeting.
DeleteI did not know that was going to happen and was very shocked when it did. People need to know how councillors are prepared to behave in front of the public.
Christine Tongue
Thanks for "chancing your arm" -as it were Christine. Your experience here links in with mine, which is the editing out of lazy, incompetent decision making and downright cruel behaviour.
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ReplyDeleteWhat thoroughly unpleasant characters we have as councillors. Everitt should be sacked. These people are destroying the area with their antics. No wonder the civil servants do as they please.
ReplyDeleteI find it offensive to be called a monkey. This amounts to cyber bullying so I will not contribute to this debate
ReplyDeleteChristine Tongue
Thanet Watch and Thanet on Film
Christine, if you do not wish to contribute to this debate simply ignore it. By rising to the bait and expressing your concerns at being described as a monkey you simply afford satisfaction to your detractors.
DeleteChristine. Dont take offence. Stick and stones and all that. Politics is a dirty business. Those who resort to such phrases are not worth your time. There is work to be done for the benefit of Thanet and you are a material part in that. I'm unsure where John Hamilton is coming from. Is he supporting the Labour incompetence or the Conservative corruption.
ReplyDeleteNot sure this is so much politics, Anon, as people getting utterly brassed off with the appalling standard of what passes for political governance in Thanet. If the jokers that currently run TDC were not bad enough, do we really need clowns like Driver and Tongue turning the meetings even more into something resembling an old slapstick comedy routine. This is our money they are all messing around with whilst achieving sweet FA and making Thanet a laughing stock to the outside world.
DeleteAnon 16:41 If it wasn't for the gross incompetence and down right corruption within TDC, Driver wouldn't have anything to shout about and Christine wouldn't have to try to unearth the truth. TDC has always been a laughing stock and a total embarrassment. That is why it should be abolished. 39 years is a long enough experiment that has failed miserably. I appreciate it is my money and yours that is wasted and I am none too pleased about it.
DeleteWith you all the way on the failure of TDC, Anon, but fail to see how adding more politically motivated clowns to the circus is going to improve things. Both Driver and Tongue are attention seekers who leap from cause to cause depending on which is in vogue at the time. What we want is responsible governance and that is something Thanet seems incapable of producing.
DeleteAnon 18:47, Driver shouts about whatever he thinks will get him some coverage, right or wrong! He is the epithomy of a bandwagon jumper!
DeleteWhat has he shouted about;
Live exports - not a council issue
QEQM A&E - not a council issue
A doctors surgery - not a council issue
The possible end of ferries from Ramsgate - caused by his other actions
All the clown Driver has achieved is supporting actions that will cost TDC £millions!
He is not fit to hold a council job sweeping streets, let alone a public office.
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ReplyDeleteRemoved because.....
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