New rules introduced for councillors attending meetings via video links

Twm Owen, local democracy reporter

Councillors attending meeting over video links have been accused of leaving them early and of not pulling their weight.

New rules requiring councillors who attend over video links, rather than in person in the council chamber, will require them to keep their cameras on throughout the meeting and inform the chair if they need to turn their camera off for a “comfort break or another urgent reason”.

The changes, which also allow for warnings to be issued if a councillor isn’t considered present “for a substantial part of the meeting” and for councillors to be marked as “absent”, prompted angry responses when put before Torfaen Borough Council’s December meeting before being agreed by a majority of the Labour controlled authority.

Reform UK councillor Alan Slade said it could place a strain on officers who administer the meetings and said: “Are democratic services going to sit there with a list, checking every time someone’s camera goes off? What about those in the chamber when they pop out for a comfort break?”

The Llantarnam member also said he questioned what was meant by “substantial” and said though he is “all for encouraging attendance” a report by its head of democratic services, and considered by that committee, would be a better approach and said: “I will be voting against this it doesn’t seem fully thought through.”

His party colleagues Jason O’Connell and Stuart Keyte also spoke against the proposed changes that were put forward as a motion to the council by Labour’s Steve Evans.

Cllr O’Connell, who also represents Llantarnam, called the motion “thoroughly patronising” and questioned if “potentially discriminatory impacts” had been considered on councillors with caring or parental responsibilities.

Trevethin and Penygarn member Cllr Keyte said he feared it would encourage councillors to speak for the sake of proving they were playing their part, but said he would prefer councillors attend in person.

He said: “You could have members talking just for the sake of it. I believe hybrid meetings should be the exception rather than the rule. You have people only a kilometre away who think they can just open the laptop rather than rock into the chamber itself.”

Cllr Keyte also said the council should rely on internal discipline and group leaders: “If I’m not pulling my weight, I would have Cllr Dave Thomas pulling me aside and asking me why.”

Pontypool independent Cllr Mark Jones said he was “lucky” to have “good employers” who allow him to attend council meetings and events, such as four engagements in the current week, but said: “This seems to go against people in full time employment.”

He also suggested the council should consider holding meetings between 6pm and 8pm rather than at 10am or 2pm at present.

Workable

Labour cabinet member David Daniels, who supported the motion, said democratic services had confirmed the requirements would be workable and he said compliance with equalities legislation had been considered but acknowledged concern raised by Cllr Jones on people in work.

Cllr Evans, who represents Upper Cwmbran, said the changes “shouldn’t be necessary” but said “a minority of members to attend to get an attendance mark and leave the meeting without any meanigful participation.”

He also said requests by committtee chairs for members to keep their cameras on at all times are ignored

The motion givees chairs discretion to allow cameras be turned off in “exceptional circumstances” while a record of when councillors enter and leave meetings will be kept. Those issued with warnings could also be reported to the ethics and standards committee at the discretion of the committee chair.