Why did ‘film’ campaigners leave immediately after vote?

The petition was about the public’s right to film. If someone wants to film part of a planning meeting to report back to neighbours, why shouldn’t they? Or if they wish to film and share part of the debate prior to a precept rise, why shouldn’t they? We don’t have to sit through it all! We’re not at school! At an adjournment, some councillors, public and press went outside, and were met with an altercation between a councillor and staff, which was quite alarming. Going back in was not a choice I, or some others, wanted to take. That is our right!

The only thing Keighley Council has been subjected to is scrutiny, which revealed a high level of maladministration that warranted many objections being made to your external auditors. You choose to ignore our concerns and the offer of help from our MP.

Our aim at Cavetown is to make Keighley Council more accountable, transparent and honest and the right to film gives the public a vehicle for this. The vote ‘in favour’ was a victory for those signing the petition, despite the seven or eight councillors who chose to walk out of the chamber during the handing over process. It demonstrated a level of arrogance, rudeness and disregard for the democratic process, which has sadly become the norm at KTC If the council also wants to film, costs should be minimal and defrayed by scrapping the KTC mag, printed in Milton Keynes, which costs £20K.

I have to agree there was, for the first time, ‘debate’ in the chamber. Whilst refreshing it was not well conducted. The mayor tried to have a show of ‘all in favour (of professional filming)’ before it had been proposed, seconded or debated; the embarrassment was palpable.

Elizabeth Mitchell Ingrow