12 July 2011 - Free Vote on Filming

Conservative Group will have a Free Vote on whether Council meetings should be filmed.

At present meetings of the Council, Cabinet and Committees cannot be recorded. But Conservatives have given Members of the Council the say on whether the policy should be changed.

The options before Councillors tonight will either be to continue to disallow filming, to investigate using a webcam to record meetings, or to allow non-disruptive filming from the public gallery.

And Conservative Members will not be Whipped in support of any option, meaning they can vote for what they individually want.

“The issue of whether or not to film public meetings is much more important than party politics,” said Conservative Leader Cllr. Richard Cornelius. “That is why we are giving our Members a Free Vote on this matter.”

“It is the Conservatives that are giving all Councillors a say on filming. I hope that Labour and the Liberals are similarly non-prescriptive with how their Members vote on this matter, and don’t Whip them for or against,” Cllr. Cornelius added.