Wirral Council defy law (for the 4th time) to ban filming at public meeting to discuss alcohol

Wirral Council defy law (for the 4th time) to ban filming at public meeting to discuss alcohol

Councillor Bill Davies (Chair, Licensing Act 2003 Committee) votes against a filming ban of a public meeting 26th October 2016

Wirral Council defy law (for the 4th time) to ban filming at public meeting to discuss alcohol

                                                 

1 Peter 2:15
For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people
Councillor Bill Davies, Left (Chair, Licensing Act 2003 Committee (Wirral Council)) votes against a filming ban of a public meeting 26th October 2016
Councillor Bill Davies, Left (Chair, Licensing Act 2003 Committee (Wirral Council)) votes against a filming ban of a public meeting 26th October 2016

Over two years ago, the law was changed and Wirral Council was criticised in a press release for trying to stop filming of its public meetings.

Last night Wirral Council’s Licensing Act 2003 Committee met.

Wirral Council started the Wirral Alcohol Inquiry in September 2015 and awarded the tender for this to Shared Future (a Community Interest Company). The question that they were asked to answer was, “What can we all do to make it easier for people to have a healthier relationship with alcohol?”.

The report that came out of talking with twenty Wirral residents made a series of recommendations, the most important one was seen as “Limit the number of licensed premises and make it easier for the public to object to licensing applications. Educate the public that you can have a say on local licensing. Explore how we can make it easier for the public to have their say on local licensing.”

Three of the twenty residents were present at last night’s meeting. However despite receiving legal advice to allow filming to go ahead, despite the law being changed over two years ago, councillors decided to adjourn the whole meeting, ironically to make is harder for the public to have their say on local licensing.

This marks the 4th time since the legislation was changed this has happened and here’s just a brief look back at when Wirral Council has tried this before since the legislation change.

The day democracy and freedom of the press died at Wirral Council: 28th October 2014

Councillors decided to ban filming of the Youth and Play Service Advisory Committee, to avoid future problems the Committee stopped meeting in public and now Wirral Council is subject to government intervention for the way it runs the Children and Young Peoples’ Department.

Labour councillor bans filming at public meeting to decide whether to licence a taxi that’s over 10 years old

There’s a transcript of what happened, but essentially a councillor wanted to ban filming of a public meeting discussing whether to licence a taxi.

Why has Wirral Council sunk deeper into the quagmire of poor corporate governance surrounding a complaint about Cllr Steve Foulkes?

At the Standards Panel meeting involving a complaint about Cllr Foulkes, the public were prevented from both attending and filming.

So yes, in scenes that remind me of the film Groundhog Day, watch below as councillors would rather adjourn the whole meeting, than have some openness and transparency.

Councillors were repeatedly advised by a solicitor advising the Licensing Act 2003 Committee to allow filming, but some chose to ignore him.

The vote was as follows.

For a filming ban (that they have no power to impose and is in my view unlawful) (7)
Cllr David Burgess-Joyce (Conservative)
Cllr Ron Abbey (Labour)
Cllr Chris Meaden (Labour)
Cllr Paul Stuart (Labour)
Cllr Denise Roberts (Labour)
Cllr George Davies (Labour)
Cllr Michael Sullivan (proposer, Labour))

Against a filming ban (2)
Cllr Bill Davies (Chair, Labour))
Cllr Dave Mitchell (Liberal Democrat)

You can watch below for what happened at the meeting itself. The 5 minute adjournment lasted twenty-six minutes.

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Licensing Act 2003 Committee (Wirral Council) 26th October 2016 Part 1 of 2

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Licensing Act 2003 Committee (Wirral Council) 26th October 2016 Part 2 of 2

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Author: John Brace

New media journalist from Birkenhead, England who writes about Wirral Council. Published and promoted by John Brace, 134 Boundary Road, Bidston, CH43 7PH. Printed by UK Webhosting Ltd t/a Tsohost, 113-114 Buckingham Avenue, Slough, Berkshire, England, SL1 4PF.

9 thoughts on “Wirral Council defy law (for the 4th time) to ban filming at public meeting to discuss alcohol”

  1. G’day John

    Keep up this great work John.

    You might have heard that I spent a couple of days in that court house over Kev and Stella’s Stinking Stagnant Wirral Waters that you enjoy visiting.

    A case involving a friend of “Highbrow’s” that was an absolute farce.

    Witnesses sat there saying they couldn’t remember, they couldn’t remember, they couldn’t remember, there bundle, sorry bundles were chaos (2 both different), their accountant witness didn’t turn up and were as if by a miracle were assessed by the judge as being honest.

    There was a LACUNA of £30,000.00 in their wages but she decided they were all honest without giving one valid reason or possibility of were the LACUNA was.

    Their slimy barista said LACUNA (the only thing he offered for his massive fee, the word LACUNA) I say knockoff.

    This case was of no significance to me but I must say there wasn’t an elephant in the room there was a great whopping big ASS.

    Your mate “Highbrow” tore the barista’s summing up to the judge to shreds and tatters it was humiliating for the poor overpaid buffoon who went to his stylist in the lunch break, I presume so he wouldn’t be recognised on his return to the court as the jester.

    I don’t think the judge had time to see her stylist or go shopping she would have spent her couple of hours re-writing her final speak after the barista’s summing up was trashed.

    Amazeballs the barista still won.

    So John what I am saying is wirral can do what they want because they know how the game works.

    Ooroo

    James

    They make up their own rules and laws knowing no one will take them on… maybe?

  2. G’day Again John

    No missive from me for days and then two come along at once.

    I am still fuming about “The Shyster” his toy boy barista from London in his Saville Row and 65 clowncillors and some corrupt or incompetent officers that do f all apart from stay schtum.

    They are not allowed to speak because they would tell the truth in most cases and that would destroy the clowncil.

    There is no decency in this gang that won’t stand up to any morals or ethics and obviously consider accountants and auditors to be a problem that stops them helping themselves and their greedy, selfish, egotistical selves.

    I am really fuming now John, and, you will be glad to hear that the mute Joey Blowey. Ahhh did your boss ay you can’t talk Joey?

  3. Have a little faith my good friend James. All things go round and round in a cycular motion and eventually all things change. Time and events see to that. What’s acceptable and the normal now won’t be once time and events bring about a shift change and the inquisitive eye of the public and the media start to look at things very differently
    What was once normal and acceptable in Westminster during the expenses feeding frenzy or the behaviour of celebrity toward young vulnerable people is now viewed very differently. Time and events see to that and your war, Johns, the Leaks and Cardins, in time, once something crumbles, fall over and we all howl,’told you so, the dirty rotten stinking lying scheming bastards’, these issues will all be seen very differently than they are today.
    It’ll take one. Just one of these scheming pecuniary advantage money grabbing chancers to become depressed, then frightened and then to become mentally ill because of ‘all these things I’ve done’ and low and behold the whole bag of undiluted pigswill comes falling down.
    Take heart James. Somewhere, some place within the trough of public service feeding there’s a mentally ill public servant who one day, because of time and events begins to feel an overburdening sense of guilt, they throw themselves on the sword, they end up in court, they get prosecuted, their world falls apart and the house of cards begins its inevitable collapse.
    Time James. Time and events buddy. It generally applies to most things and it most certainly applies to all of these things that itch the Wirral.
    My warmest regards fella.

  4. Luv ya Bobster

    It was really heartening watching “Highbrow” make the barista look like a fool, chew him up and spit him out.

    Easy to see why “The Shyster” is no barista just a low life overfed public (self) servant with a 25inch neck.

    I agree Bobby they will pay one way or another they are only human despite their delusions of grandeur.

    Thanks

    Ooroo

    James

  5. G’day John

    There comic is an absolute joke.

    They don’t want The Lord of The Leaks to show their pictures.

    Have you ever heard anything so pathetic?

    They want to show off their people as something to be admired ha ha ha ha ha.

    Roll up roll up get your photo taken by us and receive guaranteed fame.

    Even more sick, sordid and pathetic they don’t want you to filum them.

    They just want to breeze in and out of fetes filling their fat faces like on Bake Off, show off NORMAL people in pictures as something to be in awe of and slink off on holidays to China and Reno and talk **** about building golf empires for the Hoylake/West Kirby set but don’t want you to show their warts and/or children they use for publicity.

    No market for the peasants.

    They are as hopeless at producing comics as they are at business start ups.. they have no idea and why should they they are only very very ordinary people who become bullies with an unlimited lump of public dosh.

    Ooroo

    James

    Welcome not to Disneyland

    ERICROBINSONWORLD

    Where you can get your cherub on the front cover of our comic.

  6. G’day John

    You might be gladdened to hear that “Highbrow’s” mate is going to appeal after that farce in the court house over Kev and Stella’s Stinking Stagnant Wirral Waters.

    So John even judges can’t get away easily if they are challenged with the truth.

    Ooroo

    James

  7. G’day John

    They will probably let you filum tonight they will be rehearsing all day.

    Public meeting in Wirral tonight to fight ‘social catastrophe’ of benefits cuts

    “Phil the Very Very Deluded Dill”, if he is back from his junket in China he will probably give them all a free game of golf/soccer pass in his new golf empire.

    Ooroo

    James

    No new market though as we know about that don’t we WINK WINK

  8. G’day John

    I trust you were allowed to filum last night?

    Frankenstein has asked the impossible in their old local rubbish propaganda sheet.

    Now yobs run amok in Birkenhead – MP demands swift response from police and council

    Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha we tried the clowncil and the police five and a half years ago to sort out Wirral “Funny” Bizz’s £2,000,000.00 knock off with all the evidence in the world and we are still waiting.

    Frankenfield should get the police to sort out Brighton Street.

    Ooroo

    James

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