Liberal Democrats in Aberdeen have called for the public and media to be given live online access to Aberdeen City Council committee meetings during the lockdown.

Whilst most meetings have been suspended until August, the council‘s Urgent Business Committee, Licensing Committee and Planning Development Management Committee will continue to meet as required during the lockdown. The council is currently proposing to record these meetings and only make those recordings available after a meeting ends.

Liberal Democrat Leader on Aberdeen City Council Ian Yuill said: “Public and media access to council meetings is a vital part of our democracy. The Liberal Democrats believe this must be maintained – even in the current exceptional circumstances.“

Councillor Yuill continued: “The technology to live broadcast an online meeting is not difficult or expensive. At the most basic, this could involve just pointing a camera at a screen displaying the virtual meeting and broadcasting that.”

Ian Yuill has written to the council Chief Executive Angela Scott urging that live broadcasting arrangements are put in place. He has also called on the leaders of the other political parties on the council to back the Liberal Democrats’ call for live broadcasting of online meetings of council committees.

Ian Yuill concluded: “I would hope that every single political party, and every single councillor, would support providing live online access to council committee meetings. The public and media have a right to see and hear what is happening as it happens.”

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