Letter: There Has Been Some Progress on Council Votes

Published on: 4 Apr, 2026
Updated on: 4 Apr, 2026

From Maddy Redpath

R4GV borough councillor for Castle ward 

In response to: Flashback – Councillor Votes Must Be a Matter of Public Record

To lift the spirits of the editor, some things have changed.

During Covid all meetings had to be held online via Teams, meaning all votes needed to be recorded votes because councillors putting their hands up in their living rooms would be a tricky one to count.

Although most committees have reverted back to a default non-recorded vote, the Planning Committee still has a recorded vote. For a committee with such public sensitivity, it is essential to have a recorded vote every time.

Editor’s response: The opinion piece was written ten years ago, so GBC has had plenty of time to put things right. The change during Covid was forced on them and was only temporary, so is hardly mitigation. 

It is good that the Planning Committee now records all votes but a council that keeps claiming it is open and accountable needs to publish how each councillor has voted, on every vote.

Unfortunately, while the webcasting is a major facilitator of open government it does not allow all councillors to be seen simultaneously during votes.

Additionally, it has never been denied that an electronic voting system exists. If it does, why is it not used?

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