To Tweet or not to Tweet

It was very interesting to see the article in today’s Cornish Guardian about a group of Cornwall Councillors who have become known as The Twitter Gang, who use the social networking site to keep people in touch with the goings on as  a Cornwall Councillor. I have to admit to being a founder member of said gang.

I want to state that I believe this can only be a good thing.

It is often commented on as you look around the council chamber that there is a great need to attracted younger people to local politics and government. Surely one of the ways we can do this is through the use of new technologies and communication methods.

Twitter and other social networking sites like Facebook, when used with the latest mobile communication methods, can provide up to the minute communication with large groups of people – whether that is the media (we all now know they are watching us) or the local electorate, thereby keeping people informed of what is happening. Council meetings are public meeting and so there is no risk of breaking confidentiality.

I believe passionately in open government and the nearer and more connected people can feel to what takes place in the Council Chamber the better. This surely is one way of achieving that.

I ackowledge the question raised as to whether we can do this and also stay engaged in the debate in the chamber – a fair question. What I would say is that I would defy anyone to stay fully engaged in a meeting that ran for 5 hours where the same thing was said over and over again by different people. There has to be moments of relief. I do not believe that sending the occasional Tweet meant I missed anything in the debate at all.

As to the slightly light hearted nature of some of the messages – well anyone who was present at the meeting last Tuesday will know that there were many moments of hilarity in the meeting. It was actually a refreshing change to some meetings I have been to. Our current Chairman (Cllr Pat Harvey) is a colourful character who brings her own ‘style’ to proceedings and is not adverse to a bit of self deprecation and proverbial pulling of legs.

Clearly there has to be a line but I do not believe that anything written by those involved crossed that line. I would actually say that it makes a change for councillors who would disagree strongly politically to actually get along and being able to share some light hearted banter.

There are a great deal of things that need to change in politics in our country and I can’t help thinking that this type of thing can help bring about that change. At least a few more people will have read with interest of the goings on in the council today and just maybe they will be a bit more interested in the future.

If you do want to follow me on Twitter – @stevedouble. I now know that more of you will be following!