2026-09-12 08:17 UTC
The memo states that secretly recording a meeting with a council officer could damage trust, inhibit open discussion, and “create an adversarial rather than collaborative working environment”.
https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politics/covert-recording-memo-at-gateshead-council/
Replies (1)
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@TimWardCam@c.im 2026-09-12 08:59
@NEBylines@mastodon.social One reason for having a meeting with an officer is that you want to say things that you are not comfortable putting in an email, in case they get published, and are not even comfortable saying on the phone. A recording can be FOIed - an in person conversation with no minutes can't. I see that all the councillors interviews in the piece (including the Reform one!) made sensible comments. Any councillor who did consider recording a meeting, secretly or not, should be aware that it could be subject to an FOI request. (Yes, I know, it's likely to be covered under one of the exceptions, but if it doesn't exist you don't have to bother to argue about it.)