Update;
BBC article which includes a bit about me; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-22529784
I have also recorded a piece for the BBC, it might be on the Wales news later. (Have just watched it and for some reason my contribution was not included)
Update;
Well, for those of you who missed the webcast, it should be available on archive later on, after some editing maybe. If you enjoy prayer, pomp and mutual backslapping, it'll be just your thing. However, it was the AGM and future meetings may be a little more interesting.
Technically the live streaming was very well done (by @Public_i) As for the cast...? Well, Kevin Madge's Leader's report is probably best forgotten. Incidentally, there was much waffle at the start about declarations of interest and making sure Cllrs spoke up, went out, verbally declared etc - usually they just pass a form round, which went missing on one occasion.
At one point the Chair indicated to Pam Palmer (Ind leader) that it was her turn to speak, she was surprised as she hadn't asked to speak; "but it's in the script" said the Chair. Oh dear.
The only chink in the usual spin was the Plaid leader's reply which brought up Labour's failure to support the Living Wage for it's 'cherished' employees and the recent embarrassing ombudsman reports. Anyway, I don't know why I'm telling you this, force of habit I guess.
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Failing any last minute problems, it looks like the long awaited webcasting pilot will actually start today at 11am, so far there's no link, or mention on the council website but the page can be found here; http://www.carmarthenshire.public-i.tv/core/
(update; with 45 minutes until the meeting starts, the council have just put a link on the website)
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For a few brief hours yesterday the Council homepage featured news of two 'focus' group meetings, arranged for next week to chew over a light buffet and the council propaganda rag, the Carmarthenshire News. At some point the article was unceremoniously squirreled away to a remote corner of the website just in case, I presume, anyone decided to go. The Carmarthenshire News now enjoys joint contributions from various taxpayer funded services such as the police and the health board. Masterminded by the press squad at County Hall, it has been the subject of recent FoI's to try and get to the bottom of the finances, or, 'creative accounting', to quote local politicians.
BBC article which includes a bit about me; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-22529784
I have also recorded a piece for the BBC, it might be on the Wales news later. (Have just watched it and for some reason my contribution was not included)
Update;
Well, for those of you who missed the webcast, it should be available on archive later on, after some editing maybe. If you enjoy prayer, pomp and mutual backslapping, it'll be just your thing. However, it was the AGM and future meetings may be a little more interesting.
Technically the live streaming was very well done (by @Public_i) As for the cast...? Well, Kevin Madge's Leader's report is probably best forgotten. Incidentally, there was much waffle at the start about declarations of interest and making sure Cllrs spoke up, went out, verbally declared etc - usually they just pass a form round, which went missing on one occasion.
At one point the Chair indicated to Pam Palmer (Ind leader) that it was her turn to speak, she was surprised as she hadn't asked to speak; "but it's in the script" said the Chair. Oh dear.
The only chink in the usual spin was the Plaid leader's reply which brought up Labour's failure to support the Living Wage for it's 'cherished' employees and the recent embarrassing ombudsman reports. Anyway, I don't know why I'm telling you this, force of habit I guess.
-------------------------------------------------------
Failing any last minute problems, it looks like the long awaited webcasting pilot will actually start today at 11am, so far there's no link, or mention on the council website but the page can be found here; http://www.carmarthenshire.public-i.tv/core/
(update; with 45 minutes until the meeting starts, the council have just put a link on the website)
-------------------------------------------------------
For a few brief hours yesterday the Council homepage featured news of two 'focus' group meetings, arranged for next week to chew over a light buffet and the council propaganda rag, the Carmarthenshire News. At some point the article was unceremoniously squirreled away to a remote corner of the website just in case, I presume, anyone decided to go. The Carmarthenshire News now enjoys joint contributions from various taxpayer funded services such as the police and the health board. Masterminded by the press squad at County Hall, it has been the subject of recent FoI's to try and get to the bottom of the finances, or, 'creative accounting', to quote local politicians.
One meeting will be held at the new state-of the-art £10m Strategic Co-ordination Centre Police HQ in Carmarthen, which has finally found a purpose. The other at, (no not Parc Y Scarlets this time), The Furnace Theatre, Llanelli. (As an aside, you may remember when residents of Carmarthenshire, asked to vote for a name for the new theatre, chose The Stepney Centre, but the council had other ideas and chose the name which came second in the poll, all of which was revealed through a FoI).
Anyway, if you would like to offer some 'feedback', or make other useful suggestions as to where exactly you would like to place your copy of the Carmarthenshire News, you will need to email your 'expression of interest', after you've located the article on the website. You haven't got much time either. Good luck with that.
With the propaganda rag dominating the homepage, I can only imagine that the preparations for today's webcast of the AGM were so frantic that the press office had clean forgotten to mention it, not even a tweet. I suppose last minute wardrobe issues and getting the make-up right is keeping everyone busy, I expect the ladies are preoccupied too.
So, we look forward to an enthusiastic announcement this morning. But just in case there's isn't, (and depending on the council getting it's act together), it's due to start at 11am.
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One more thing I'd like to mention is the defeat by Labour in the Assembly of Rhodri Glyn Thomas' (Plaid) amendment to the Local Democracy Bill. This was a modest but important attempt to open up council meetings to members of the public and allow the free use of social media in an attempt to "..put a stop to the stories across Wales of local people being stopped from commenting publicly on these public matters."
Why on earth the amendment wasn't passed unanimously, and without question, I have no idea.
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One more thing I'd like to mention is the defeat by Labour in the Assembly of Rhodri Glyn Thomas' (Plaid) amendment to the Local Democracy Bill. This was a modest but important attempt to open up council meetings to members of the public and allow the free use of social media in an attempt to "..put a stop to the stories across Wales of local people being stopped from commenting publicly on these public matters."
Why on earth the amendment wasn't passed unanimously, and without question, I have no idea.