Councillor’s YouTube appeal costing taxpayer ‘thousands’

Green City councillor Jason Kitcat has claimed his appeal against a suspension from duty by Brighton and Hove City Council’s standard committee will cost tax payers ‘thousands’.

In August the council’s Standards Committee found that Cllr Kitcat had breached council rules for posting videos of council meetings on Youtube. He was ordered to apologise to Cllr Geoffrey Theobold, a Conservative councillor featured in one of the videos, and undergo re-training, or face suspension for six months.

Some of the meetings can be watched by webcast from the Council’s website, a fact that has been used by critics of the action taken against Cllr Kitcat as proof of its idiocy. It can certainly be argued that he is merely aiming to promote openness within local government and it is unnecessary to stifle this regardless of whether or not he has breached the regulations.

Cllr Kitcat elected to appeal and he says the Council have chosen to hire outside counsel at the expense of the taxpayer.

(www.jasonkitcat.com)


The appeal will be held at the Hilton Metropole from 9.30am on Wednesday 3rd November.

You can read a full summary of this rather bizarre dispute, which has featured in Private Eye, from Cllr Kitcat’s blog, while it has also been commented on Jim Killock’s blog and by the authoritative Brighton Political Blogger.

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Posted by on September 23, 2010. Filed under Conservatives,Council News,Featured,Green Party. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
  • http://wilsondan.co.uk Dan Wilson

    It must be costing thousands, and worse than that, it’s taking up inumerable hours of time that should be better used on vital work.

    It’s a curse on everyone’s house. The Tories have levelled an accusation. Cllr Kitcat feels wronged. Standards committees have sat and argued. I think this is a disgraceful politically motivated affair. And I honestly don’t think the people of Regency Ward are gonna win either way.

    But really? Sort it out like decent people. Quickly. Cheaply. Now.

    (Disclosure: I’m a member of Brighton Labour Party.)