A Council Overthrown In Somerset – By A Website

November

7

by admin // in Web Stuff

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How effective can small websites be on local council issues?

There’s been an interesting case in Somerton, Somerset where most of the Town Councillors have just resigned en masse, blaming a local blogger, Niall Connolly.

According to the Times:

A lone blogger has effectively killed off a town council after 11 of its members resigned in protest at his constant online ?sniping?. Somerton council, in Somerset, has been left with only four members after a three-year campaign by Niall Connolly, who began his blog in disgust at delays to a promised community hall.

Councillors claim that the blog, called ?MuckandBrass?, has become increasingly bitter and personal, with members called ?clowns?, ?hypocrites? and ?jackasses? who have ?only just discovered? democracy.

One former councillor, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of being singled out for further abuse, said: ?The attacks amounted to personal abuse and we?ve tried long and hard to ignore it but it came to a head this week and councillors simply can?t take any more.

What’s remarkable is that so many of the councillors were aware of the blog and took notice of it – and that so many residents took notice as well, with 160 coming along to a recent parish meeting.

You can read the”MuckandBrass” blog yourself here.

Another website has written an independent analysis of the situationhere and concludes:

Perhaps this is simply proof that bloggers can be better, after all; perhaps there is still a place for the independent crusader and local resident to actually make an impact on local politics. Perhaps local government ought to be accountable to its residents. Perhaps people shouldn?t jump to conclusions just because they are biased against bloggers.

?or perhaps all of the allegations and suggestions are false. I don?t know, and because I don?t know, I didn?t jump to conclusions based on prior bias, and that is rather the point.

Obviously this stuff isn’t directly related to us in Essex but its an interesting example of how influential a website can be in the appropriate circumstances.

About the author, admin

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