Is open governance important in the 21st Century? Options

[Ruwan Uduwerage-...]

Dear Forum Members,

I have just received a call from the local paper putting questions to me about whether I was concerned that the majority of the Newbury Town Council Tory group voted against my nomination as Deputy Leader of the Council?

My response to this was a definite no, for why would I be bothered that an opposing political group did not like my politics and the policies and proposals that I support such as greater openness, transparency and engagement with the public who elect the Councillors.

The real reason why the Tory Group predominantly voted against me was because I continue to abstain over the election of Tory Mayor's and Deputy Mayor's (many have misused this position to promote their parties agenda) whilst the Liberal Democrat Party has the majority. If it is the will of the Town to have a Tory Mayor then they can elect a Tory majority.

I was also asked whether it was appropriate for me to use social media and enter comments on this Forum whilst I am in a meeting?

My answer to this is simple, should not the public be aware of what happens in public meetings whilst it is happening so long as it does not interrupt the flow of the discussions (which it does not)? If certain Councillors are concerned with what I am writing, then perhaps they should be more careful about how they behave and what they say?

Unlike other members of the Council, perhaps I am uniquely gifted (I think not) in that I can listen to, and respond to discussions whilst also using my tablet to clarify points and even post messages. This happens on a daily basis both within The Commons and The House of Lords, so why not in Newbury Town Council. Perhaps some within Newbury Town Council think that they operate on a far higher and have a right to be secretive than Parliament?

At least whilst the Liberal Democrat Party holds the majority in the Chamber, and certainly whilst Cllr Swift-Hook is the Leader, and I am Deputy Leader of Newbury Town Council it will not become a private club where the public are spoken about, and not engaged with.

Perhaps the Tory opposition is right, that even though I have over thirty years of public service behind me, I do not understand what ‘being in service to the public’ actually means? Maybe I am meant to do as others do, for some Councillors only appear obliged to answer questions and speak to the public when they are out canvassing to be elected? I will continue to decline to follow their ways and continue to remain as open as I can.

I would appreciate the thoughts of this Forum.

Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera
Newbury Town Council - Councillor for Victoria Ward & Deputy Leader

[blackdog]

I have to say that I find it a bit unsettling to be in a meeting where someone is playing with their phone and/or tablet - it seems discourteous to not give the meeting your full attention.

But I am guilty myself of looking stuff up in response to points raised in meetings - though I can't imagine looking at, let alone posting to social media during a meeting.

Just get a webcam set up in the council chamber and perhaps you won't need to post anything.

[pbonnay]

I have to say that I find it a bit unsettling to be in a meeting where someone is playing with their phone and/or tablet - it seems discourteous to not give the meeting your full attention.

But I am guilty myself of looking stuff up in response to points raised in meetings - though I can't imagine looking at, let alone posting to social media during a meeting.

Just get a webcam set up in the council chamber and perhaps you won't need to post anything.

Yes, I would consider it rude if when you are speaking to someone they are looking down and typing. It gives the impression they are not listening and are prejudging what you say.

A live feed could accessible via the council website.

[Andy Capp]

I presume when a person speaks they are addressing the chair and not the person using the mobile device. The dark side of all this is to stifle candour. As well as that, some people are simply not so eloquent as others, and might say something that is not quite what they mean and then the next thing you know it is all over the Internet.

Some people need a bit of leeway. Often, it is not what people say that matters, it is what they mean.

[On the edge]

I'd go with AndyC's view if this was a public meeting, where the public speak. I've attended a fair few of those, including the famous WBC Forums. There, one could expect tongue tied members of the public, but these self same Councillors used to give them no quarter! After all, a Councillor knows exactly what they are going to be doing, so the public speaking shrinking violet ought not to stand.

Doing things whilst others are speaking? Well, it might not be good manners, but nothing wrong with that. Look at what happens in Westminster! Again, having sat through some of these, which are often very very boring, and some do like to speak, this might be a subtle message. Politics is the home of the filibuster.

As for inhibitions to candour, presumably the press may have been present? Equally, if a Councillor does have strong views, should they not be expressed, or is candour a synonym for hiding their true position! The public can go to these meetings, yes, let's have a webcam, what is there to be afraid of?

I can think of just one thing; if we could see, we'd realise the Emperor has no clothes.

[Andy Capp]

Presumably because of 'real-time reporting', this is why we have sound-bite politics. Listen to anyone from a given party and they speak the same language, the same 'buzz-words'. It is as though they have all been to the same meeting and have been trained in what to say. It comes across as insincere.

[On the edge]

Presumably because of 'real-time reporting', this is why we have sound-bite politics. Listen to anyone from a given party and they speak the same language, the same 'buzz-words'. It is as though they have all been to the same meeting and have been trained in what to say. It comes across as insincere.

I suppose that would be the downside and arguably the cameras in the Commons have made debate rather more bovine. Nevertheless, this seems only to have affected the stuff the leaders star in. Doesn't seem to have damaged the select committees where the real work is done. Equally, the 'sound bite' one size fits all politics is a lot to do with centralised marketing and spin doctors. Campbell, Rennard and the like.

[Cognosco]

I suppose that would be the downside and arguably the cameras in the Commons have made debate rather more bovine. Nevertheless, this seems only to have affected the stuff the leaders star in. Doesn't seem to have damaged the select committees where the real work is done. Equally, the 'sound bite' one size fits all politics is a lot to do with centralised marketing and spin doctors. Campbell, Rennard and the like.

If only we had a Margaret Hodge to investigate NTC!

I still fail to see the difference in RUP posting during meetings or me attending the town hall and listening to proceedings........so long as he posts accurately of course and does not put his own spin on things!
I would still like a reply as to the question of the forum members being able to post questions on here to be then raised at council meetings?

[CharlieF]

The real reason why the Tory Group predominantly voted against me was because I continue to abstain over the election of Tory Mayor's and Deputy Mayor's (many have misused this position to promote their parties agenda) whilst the Liberal Democrat Party has the majority. If it is the will of the Town to have a Tory Mayor then they can elect a Tory majority.

You really don't know then? Hmmmn. I refer you to to words of Cllr Mike Rogers in 2009 contained within this document:

MINUTES OF A MEETING OF NEWBURY TOWN COUNCIL
HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, TOWN HALL, MARKET PLACE, NEWBURY
ON MONDAY 20 MARCH 2006 AT 7.30PM

http://www.newbury.gov.uk/pdfs/minutes/minutesfc060320.pdf

Councillor Mike Rodger (Lib Dem):

“Re amendment to standing orders. The role that the Mayor adopts is apolitical, a
legal requirement, this obviously helps maintain the integrity of the post, and it
would be fair to say that the reputation of the Newbury Town Mayor is excellent.
At the present time, the selection of the next Mayor is made unofficially by the
ruling group, as can be clearly seen from those who have held the post since the
formation of the Town Council, and until now there has been an internal
agreement by the Liberal Democrat Group that the Mayor should come from their
ranks. I feel this move is totally inappropriate, and undemocratic. The selection
of the Mayor should be made not on party grounds; the decision does not require
this form of protection. The selection should be made on the basis of who is best
for the job. I therefore ask the Members of this Council to reject this amendment
to standing orders.”

[Simon Kirby]

Yes, open government is vitally important in order that the people are able to engage with their government and hold it to account.

Newbury Town Council should disclose the hydrogeological reports without further delay, and it should invite a thorough independent warts-and-all review of the council's governance over the last five years and implement any sanctions and restitutions for the abuse and victimisation that the review uncovers.

[user23]

Yes, open government is vitally important in order that the people are able to engage with their government and hold it to account.

Newbury Town Council should disclose the hydrogeological reports without further delay, and it should invite a thorough independent warts-and-all review of the council's governance over the last five years and implement any sanctions and restitutions for the abuse and victimisation that the review uncovers.

Allotments. You forget to mention allotments.

[MontyPython]

Allotments. You forget to mention allotments.

WBC smear campaign

[Lolly]

Is open governance important in the 21st Century?

Yes, and it is about time councils (and Councillors) embraced modern technology. The revolution will be digital....

[Ruwan Uduwerage-...]

You really don't know then? Hmmmn.

CharlieF, yes I am aware of the history behind the silliness, but times have changed and the council has suffered too long as a result of this terriblly 'liberal' but naive action. I would suggest that we do not need to be slaves to such a 'tradition'.

Thanks for the link to the minutes though.

As for those people unsure as to whether I pay attention to speakers, I can assure you that the opposition get rather heated because I pay close attention and question their interpretation of what amounts to good governance regularly. I do have a slight advantage in this, in that my hearing aid picks up the speakers directly through the loop system, so I cannot escape the debates even if I wished to, and when people are talking merely to have been seen to say something I can assure you meetings can get very tedious.

Regarding the release of specific documents relating to damage to Victoria Park, I cannot respond about this, but it can assure everyone that there is a desire to share information, but at this moment we cannot.

As to an independent review of past decisions relating to 'Allotmentgate' that would have my support.

Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera
Newbury Town Council - Victoria Ward Councillor & Deputy Leader

[Simon Kirby]

WBC smear campaign

It's certainly curious that someone should want to smear a call for a warts-and-all review of the town council's administration in the face of some obvious questions over their governance. The only reason to derail an independent review that I can think of is if it's going to uncover something awkward.

This answers the question posed in the OP: Is open governance important in the 21st Century? Yes, it is. Let's see the hydrogeological reports. There is no legitimate exemption in the Environmental Information Regulations to allow the town council to withhold disclosure. The council have not even disclosed the confidentiality agreement which they claim prevents them from disclosing the reports. It's not obvious that the council has even applied the correct legislation to the request for the reports, handling the request under Freedom of Information when the information is environmental and the Environmental Information Regulations would appear to be the applicable legislation. The draw-down of the water table, emanating as it does from the third-party construction site, and being alleged by the council to be an environmentally damaging influence, is an "emission" in the language of the Regulations, and as an emission the council are not entitled to rely on the exemptions to their duty to disclose. It has to be asked, are the council really protecting the interests of the third-party contractor, or are they hiding behind an inapplicable exemption to their duty to disclose in order to obfuscate their inept governance.

Open governance is essential if the public are to have confidence in their government, and closed governance is a tell-tale sign that their government is up to no good and trying to hide the evidence..

[Andy Capp]

Yes, open government is vitally important in order that the people are able to engage with their government and hold it to account.

Newbury Town Council should disclose the hydrogeological reports without further delay, and it should invite a thorough independent warts-and-all review of the council's governance over the last five years and implement any sanctions and restitutions for the abuse and victimisation that the review uncovers.

Not just the NTC, the government are being taken to court to attempt to force them to revel the expected usage figures for the HS2. The government are refusing citing confidentiality clauses.

The only thing councils and government will tell you are things they want to tell you. I don't blame them, we are rubbish at taking bad news.

[Simon Kirby]

Regarding the release of specific documents relating to damage to Victoria Park, I cannot respond about this, but it can assure everyone that there is a desire to share information, but at this moment we cannot.

Say it turns out that the Information Commissioner rules that the Town Council has unlawfully withheld documents that it should have disclosed, will the council apologise and take the necessary action to ensure the openness of its governance going forward? If it turns out that the lack of openness allowed the council to pursue a futile claim which open governance would have avoided, will heads roll?

As to an independent review of past decisions relating to 'Allotmentgate' that would have my support.

Thank you. You've just cancelled Monday's Community Services Committee. Will you propose a thorough warts-and-all independent review of Allotmentgate at the next Full Council? Will you propose that the council protects me from the inevitable victimisation and recrimination, and provides me with the support I need to put my case fairly against the unlimited resources of the council?

[Simon Kirby]

Not just the NTC, the government are being taken to court to attempt to force them to revel the expected usage figures for the HS2. The government are refusing citing confidentiality clauses.

The only thing councils and government will tell you are things they want to tell you. I don't blame them, we are rubbish at taking bad news.

I have some sympathy for that second point. I've said myself that we are not good at accepting collectively responsibility for failure, though I also feel that the essential problem is that we are not engaged - really two different ways of saying the same thing.

There is an argument that it can be better for the public not to be informed because, feckless know-nothings that we are, we'd only louse things up by making a fuss. I can understand that argument, but at the end of the day I feel that the overriding imperative is for government to be open in order to hold itself accountable - unaccountable government being the greater danger.

[user23]

Is open governance important in the 21st Century?

Yes, and it is about time councils (and Councillors) embraced modern technology. The revolution will be digital....

And local people too?

[Exhausted]

And local people too?

I would suggest that local people have embraced modern technology. Just look at the number of people who use tablet type mobile phones, home computers connected to a broadband connection, Laptops, facebook Skype and so on.

There are those amongst us who don't have the opportunity to understand every new bit of technology that hits the street but there are always the Luddites who don't want to embrace what is going on but they can all operate complicated TV and satellite controllers.

I suspect that our local elected are not high on the technological scale, most of them and this is of course a generalisation, are too old to grasp modern methods of communication and what can be achieved possibly to their benefit.