PRESS RELEASE: Government must reinstate virtual meetings and remote decision making for local councils
With growing cases of Covid across Surrey and the Prime Minister's announcement yesterday calling on people to work from home wherever possible Guildford Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to reinstate council's abilities to hold virtual meetings for all purposes including decision making.
Earlier in the pandemic emergency legislation was put in place to allow councils to meet and vote virtually however the Government refused to extend the legislation after 7th May. Since then only advisory meetings can take place remotely.
The issue was highlighted this week when significant numbers of councillors were unable to attend due to a combination of covid, other illnesses and being clinically vulnerable. Decisions were able to be made as the council meeting was quorate but councils should not be hostages to fortune in this way.
Cllr Julia McShane, Westborough councillor and Deputy Leader of Guildford Borough Council, said:
"As councillors, we are elected by local residents to work to improve our communities - part of that requires us to be able to meet and make decisions. As a result of the Government's refusal to allow virtual meetings and remote decision making, we find ourselves in the unacceptable situation where councillors are having to choose between ensuring democracy happens and keeping ourselves and others safe.
"We know that virtual meetings work - we had them throughout 2020 - and we should be allowed to return to them given that Government guidance is to work from home wherever possible."
ENDS