Medway Council budget meeting – the missing tweets

I went into last night’s budget meeting intending to tweet the most interesting comments, as well as brief personal thoughts, from start to finish.

Unfortunately, my neglect in ensuring that I went into the public gallery with a fully-charged BlackBerry put pay to that idea, and I had to stop live tweeting the meeting.

I did, however, continue to write down my would-be tweets until the meeting conclusion at (the rather sensible time of) 22:03, and for your information and delight, I post below how my twitter feed would have run last night, from start to finish, had my BlackBerry been alive to tell the tale.

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Thinking of going and watching our elected councillors debate how to spend our money tonight. Who’s with me?

RT @simonwakeman off to full council budget meeting at Medway tonight – hope not as late as last full council which finished early hours of friday morning

Conservatives – propose 0% increase in members’ allowances.

Labour – criticising pleasure flights at Rochester Airport.

Independent members passing Jelly Babies between themselves. Wonder if they would pass a couple this way…

Why is the Council website costing ?250,000? I wouldn’t pay ?25,000 for that abberation – over any timescale!

@CllrMikeOBrien on top form again.

Sorry folks, battery bout to die. No more live meeting tweets.

From this point, all “tweets” are from their paper notes

Liberals against supporting hard-pressed motorists with free Christmas parking.

Labour cllr being so rude: “all you people over there”. They have names, you know!

Before a “freedom pass” were introduced, surely bus services and routes should be improved to an acceptable 21st Century standard?

Haven’t been to budget meeting for 3 years – now I remember why. Uber-divisive with no consensus whatsoever. Massive shame.

Unusual amount of councillors taking a “loo break” during Cllr Juby’s speech. Listening to it, I can see why they might.

Cllrs Jarrett & Griffiths already put forward 2 of Cllr Juby’s 3 amendments. Just parking permit freezes to go.

Oooh, more Jelly Babies have surfaced! I’m over here…

Cllr Jarrett to accept amendment. Cllr Filmer: “pleasure to have in writing that Liberals want to increase enforcement in Gillingham”.

Cllr Juby only meant extra enforcement where residents want it. That makes more sense for a Liberal…

Cllr Tony Goulden giving a more balanced commentary on the budget as the group “without Perspective Parliamentary Candidates”.

Cllr Val Goulden looks very shocked at what her husband is saying. Looks like they’re going to be having words later…

Cllr Brice speaking in support of Conservative budget: “it is the electorate who will judge us … for doing the right thing”.

Cllr @Mark_Reckless also on excellent form: “for every ?1 Hackney has, we have 25p to spend”. We have a much larger population than Hackney.

Went outside to make a phone call and ran into the smell of tobacco from a cllr and her sneaky fag. Why do you have to be so tempting…?!

Cllr Brake: did Cllr Griffiths speak against airport because his group colleagues live in the flight path?

Cllr Chishti is talking about “champagne socialism”. Cllr Griffiths making a serous point of order: “I’m teetotal”.

Cllr Rodney Chambers talking about the Cadet 150 and supporting armed forces and their cadets. I’ll hold you to that, Cllr Chambers!!!

Cllr Brice votes for Conservative budget. Other Indies & Liberals abstain (strange, that!). Labour, as usual, against doing the right thing.

Meeting closes at 22:03. As the Mayor walks past, I bet he’s thinking “thank God it didn’t go on as long as last time!”.