Paul Francis's blog

Notes from the lecture on planning now available. Paul

The handout on local government finance is now available in module notes under NCTJ Public Affairs. Paul

It started as a joke with a promise of free bananas for voters but Stuart Drummond ended up being one of the best-known and well-regarded directly elected mayors in the country.

Now, after three terms of office he is bowing out as the council has voted to return to a cabinet-system of government.

I shall miss him - not least because I have regularly used him in lectures as a good example of how the elected-mayoral system works.

Such is the price of democracy...

My handout on local government finance is now available in module notes.  Please also note that the lecture notes on social services are now also available. Both are under NCTJ Public Affairs tag.

Paul

All journalists should know exactly what their rights are to attend and report council meetings.

Not just because it's where good stories invariably come from but because the media is the public's watchdog and plays a crucial part holding democratically-elected decision makers to account.

The Daily Telegraph is running a series of exposes of the questionable practices of local councillors and planning officers. Interesting, in as much as you don't often see a national broadsheet go undercover to turn its attention to local government - they will usually go for MPs.

Handouts on education (Year One students) and planning (MA students) are now available in module notes.

Paul

I've sat through enough town hall meetings to know why people - especially students - ask why we bother (a question I readily concede I have asked myself a number of times).

Here's a good example of why it is worth it.

Some elected members have a tendency to forget they are speaking in public forums and suffer from the something that  can afflict us all - the-foot-in-mouth-syndrome.

And sometimes we are grateful they suffer such lapses.

There is an intriguing court case going on in Wales involving a council chief executive being sued for libel by a blogger who filmed a council meeting and the council making a counter claim for defamation against the blogger.

A reminder that my sessions tomorrow (Feb 14) are not taking place as it is Kent County Council's budget day. Please complete assignments that I set last week. I have uploaded some new handout material. Paul