What’s in the 40 page contract to distribute Wirral Council’s controversial Wirral View newspaper?
What’s in the 40 page contract to distribute Wirral Council’s controversial Wirral View newspaper?
Last year Wirral Council asked organisations to bid for the delivery contract for its controversial Wirral View newspaper.
The distribution contract (Lot 2) was awarded to Smart Distribution Solutions Ltd for three years starting on 1st December 2017 (with an option to extend for a further two years).
Wirral Council tries to ban filming of public meeting to award Freedom of the Borough to the 96 who died in Hillsborough!
Wirral Council tries to ban filming of public meeting to award Freedom of the Borough to the 96 who died in Hillsborough!
Councillor Bill Davies, Left (Chair, Licensing Act 2003 Committee (Wirral Council)) votes against a filming ban of a public meeting 26th October 2016
On Friday evening, at a public meeting of all Wirral Council’s councillors, freedom of the borough is expected to be awarded to the 96 that died in the Hillsborough disaster.
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I’ve also pointed out I’m quite happy to film from the Council Chamber, as I have done before for a public meeting of the Wirral Schools Forum. Filming from the Council Chamber was done by another media organisation during the freedom of borough meeting for PC Dave Phillips last year. I’ve removed Kevin’s mobile number from the email below as as far as I know it’s not made public. I’ve also not included the LGC Awards 2015 Most Improved Council logo and the boilerplate text at the end.
from: MacCallum, Kevin to: John Brace <john@johnbrace.com> date: 11 September 2017 at 14:29 subject: Freedom of the Borough council, Friday.
Hi John,
Just wanted to let you know in advance of Friday that unfortunately the public gallery will be off-limits for the Freedom of the Borough event, as it is being reserved for invited guests of the families.
We are filming the entire event and will be posting it onto our YouTube channel.
If you would still like to attend you, along with any other members of the public wishing to view the formal part of the event, will be asked to use one of the Committee Rooms on the ground floor, where sound will be played through from the Chamber.
Updated 11.3.18 I finally found the footage of the meeting over 6 months later, it hadn’t been published on Wirral Council’s Youtube Channel as Kevin suggested, but the channel of Paul Frost on the 19th September 2017.
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Yet below you will see a screenshot of Wirral Council advertising on this blog taken today with is a screenshot from my iPad.
Obviously this raises an interesting question that Wirral Council see us as a media organisation they can advertise with, but are not able to see us as a media organisation for the purposes of elections.
There is a screenshot below of my iPad to show what I mean. The advert is at the top.
Wirral Council advert blog
Of course if Wirral Council wants to stop advertising for whatever reason, they only have to ask me and I will make sure their adverts don’t display in future!
But I just thought I’d file this in Wirral Council wanting to have their cake and eat it.
I could write another email to Kevin but I fear this is getting embarrassing (for Wirral Council that is)!
Updated I asked the Combined Authority Returning Officer Ged Fitzgerald for a decision after I received Wirral’s response but he wrote no too.
Despite attending election counts many times in the past, Wirral Council has banned us from both the Claughton byelection count, Metro Mayoral count and General Election Count.
As far as I have been told by Wirral Council as there are no other press requests to attend the Wirral Claughton byelection count and the Wirral Metro Mayor count that means for the first time in many years no press will be covering the count on the Wirral.
from: MacCallum, Kevin <kevinmaccallum@wirral.gov.uk>
to: “john@johnbrace.com” <john@johnbrace.com>
date: 3 May 2017 at 10:29
subject: Media Accreditation
mailed-by: wirral.gov.uk
Dear Mr Brace,
Thank you for your request for media accreditation for the LCR Mayoral Election Count and the General Election Count.
The Local Returning Officer has considered your request and has refused it.
Media accreditation is only provided to media professionals who represent bona fide media organisations, which is a criteria you unfortunately do not meet.
This criteria is necessary to ensure the effective and timely management of the verification and count and relevant procedures/processes.
Yours sincerely,
Kev MacCallum
Head of Communications
Communications & Marketing
E: kevinmaccallum@wirral.gov.uk
W: www.wirral.gov.uk & www.wirralview.com
In the interests of completeness I emailed Kevin back just to clarify this covered the Claughton byelection too as it wasn’t explicitly mentioned, I’m therefore including his reply below to that email too.
from: MacCallum, Kevin <kevinmaccallum@wirral.gov.uk>
to: John Brace <john@johnbrace.com>
date: 3 May 2017 at 11:24
subject: Re: Media Accreditation
mailed-by: wirral.gov.uk
Dear Mr Brace
Apologies, the refusal of accreditation also refers to the Claughton by-election.
Kev MacCallum
Head of Communications
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