Councillor banned from 'tweeting' at council meetings

Councillor Wera Hobhouse

A Rochdale councillor has been told to stop ‘tweeting’ at council meetings following a complaint.

Councillor Wera Hobhouse came under the spotlight following the Full Council Meeting in October where she tweeted throughout and at the end called the meeting a “pointless waste of time.”

Councillor Hobhouse has received a letter from the Borough Solicitor forbidding her tweet at meetings following a complaint.

The letter highlights that mobile phones are to be switched off at the start of the meetings it also refers to the Council’s Code of Conduct about showing respect to the Mayor of Rochdale and others.

“The reason for switching off mobiles is so they don’t ring or make a noise,” said Councillor Hobhouse, “People might say that I am not listening because I am tweeting but I am listening because I am commenting on what is happening at the meeting.”

“Maybe it is seen that I am being disrespectful but what is disrespectful about tweeting: ‘We are now hearing about the excellent results of the borough’s secondary schools. Brilliant achievement. Well done staff and pupils.’

“I am commenting on a public meeting, why can I not tweet? The only tweet that bothered people was the one at the end.”

This tweet read: “Phew. Another council meeting out of the way. Full Council meetings are such a pointless waste of time.”

Councillor Hobhouse continued: “Who can stop me from tweeting after a meeting? If I find a council meeting a waste of time I will say that. I would like someone to tell me what is so great about a council meeting anyway.”

“It is ridiculous. Am I not allowed to voice my opinion?”

Councillor Hobhouse added: “I am going to clarify the position of the borough solicitor.

“This is just tit for tat. I have bigger battles to fight.

“I will put in a Freedom of Information request to find out who made the complaint. I assume it will have been an opposition politician.”

"I am the last one who doesn't take Council decision making serious. But we are not making a single important decision at Full Council. All we do is rubber stamp decisions that have been made at other committees like Cabinet or Regulatory Committee and have been through Township and Overview and Scrutiny committees. Anyone, who has attended a Full Council meeting, can confirm that we all mumble 'agreed' as we go through the 'items of decisions'.

“By far the biggest part of the Full Council meeting is taken up by political grand standing and Punch and Judy type exchanges when the opposition asked questions to the leader and the Cabinet.

“This is the part of the Full Council meeting that I consider a 'pointless waste of time' and I welcome a debate of how we could change it to make it more meaningful.

“It would be helpful if the borough solicitor would help with that debate rather than sending me admonitoring letters to restrict my freedom of speech.

“I would like to point out that I sent the 'pointless waste of time' tweet, once I had arrived at home.”

Andy Zuntz, Executive Director at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “Council meetings warrant members’ full attention at all times because important decisions are being made that impact on our borough. The Mayor requests at the start of each meeting that all mobile devices are switched off so that members can focus on the discussions at hand. It’s felt that it’s inappropriate for our councillors, or indeed officers, to be tweeting during such important meetings.”