Politics

Online abuse motion goes before Council

Published

2 years ago

October 11, 2021

“I’M UNDOUBTEDLY the most abused councillor in Britain.”

That’s the claim made by Pembroke Dock Central County Councillor Paul Dowson in an interview with The Herald about a notice of motion due for debate by the Full Council next Thursday (Oct 14).

In a revealing interview, Cllr Dowson said he regretted becoming embroiled in a series of social media spats and acknowledged mistakes in how he dealt with them.

Paul Dowson was not, however, wholly contrite.

He told us that, while he thought social media’ pile-ons’ had gone too far, he felt justified in standing up for what he thought was right.

Since his unexpected election in 2017, Cllr Dowson has courted publicity. He was vocal about issues affecting his ward and his hometown of Pembroke Dock. He rubbed up plenty of people the wrong way, especially council officers and his fellow members, with his use of social media to communicate about the issues he felt – and still feels – affect Pembroke Dock.

He is notably disparaging about councillors he thinks do little apart from striking poses about issues remote from everyday life as it’s lived in Pembroke Dock.

I pointed out that a friend of mine had described him as ’a typical Dock boy’ of his age and background.

He enthusiastically agreed.

SOCIAL AND ANTISOCIAL MEDIA

He told The Herald that the turning point in his relationship with social media and controversy came following his outspoken condemnation of a Council statement that supported the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.

“I’m not a racist,” he told The Herald.

“People who know me know I’m not a racist. I stand against racism, and I have no problem with saying ‘Black Lives Matter.’ Of course, they do.

“I said what I said about lighting up County Hall because I opposed the violent protests [following the murder of George Floyd in the USA]. The political agenda behind how those protests developed is something I couldn’t agree with – it was jumped on by people with a violent agenda I just couldn’t support. The cause is fine, but violent protests are not.

“So, I said what I said. ‘All lives matter.’ I didn’t know it was a term used offensively in America. Why would I? I’m not from America.

“And so the pile on started, with people being invited to complain about me being a racist to the Ombudsman by another County Councillor [Joshua Beynon].”

And what about his involvement at Penally, we asked.

Things got confrontational there.

“When the protests got violent, I knew the protestors against the unjust use of the camp without public consultation had lost. The night it kicked off, I made a point of speaking to the Police afterwards and thanking them for doing their job.”

He told us: “I sent Josh a message around Christmas last year saying everything had gone too far and we should both back off. I didn’t get an answer.”

THE OMBUDSMAN

We asked about the complaints made to the Ombudsman about his words regarding Black Lives Matter.

“Yes, people did complain. Some of those complaints lied about what I’d said, so they were dismissed. Some came from fake accounts, so they were dismissed. There’s one last one to go to the Council’s Standards Committee. I will insist that is heard in public, so people can hear everything and make their own judgements.”

We asked him whether he’d ever used an account under a phoney name to argue with others on social media, as he mentioned fake accounts.

“Yes, I have. I’d rather not have done it, but I think it’s justified when people are abusing you, bullying you, and stopping you from responding and carrying on targeting you, your business, and your family. And I’m always pretty obvious about it.

“In the heat of the moment, I’ve said things online that I’ve regretted. I don’t pretend to be a saint, but I don’t like being told what to think and do. When people push me, I push back.”

We asked Paul Dowson about comments made by those who apparently support some of his social media posts and respond aggressively to those who disagree with them.

His response was immediate: “Some people who’ve commented on social media have gone way too far in what they’ve said on some of my posts. When it’s been drawn to my attention by those who’ve been targeted, I delete the comments. I can’t do that 24/7 and I can’t stop people saying what they feel.”

A SIMPLE PROPOSAL

Although some will attack it because of its source, Cllr Dowson’s Notice of Motion should be uncontroversial.

Strip away the exposition from the text, and it’s a straightforward proposition.

Potentially good councillors are not coming forward for election thanks to social media trolling.

The Council needs to be more proactive with how it supports members.

The Council should be more modern in its approach to tackling the abuse of elected members.

The Council – and councils – should do more to halt the tide of abuse directed at elected members and candidates.

To illustrate his point, Paul Dowson told us former Monitoring Officer Claire Jones had advised him not to use social media.

He scoffed at the advice.

“That’s so out of date, it’s unreal. How does she think people communicate with each other, these days? You don’t go knocking door-to-door or wait for them to come to you, you make yourself available to people who get in touch on social media!”

On the wider issue of whether social media companies do enough to prevent abuse, harassment, and trolling, Cllr Dowson was clear.

“No. It’s ridiculous that you can open an account without any identification or verification of who you are or that you are who you claim to be.

“I’ve had fake accounts pretend to be me, and I’ve had fake accounts make bogus complaints against me. If there was a system of verifying identity that all social media companies use, that’d be a start.

“Look, they can trace an IP address and locate you, but it takes too much time. If you have verification, that’s avoided, and things can be dealt with quickly and finally by social media companies.”

If it appears bitterly ironic to his detractors that Cllr Dowson has brought forward a motion to tackle online abuse, suppose it passes when councillors vote on it.

In that case, it will go before a committee chaired by Cllr Joshua Beynon.

When we pointed that out, Paul Dowson grinned.

Before we left, we asked Councillor Dowson whether he would seek re-election.

“Damn right, I am. In Pembroke Dock: Bush.”

News

Call to take part in Council’s Budget 2024 – 25 consultation

Published

5 days ago

December 1, 2023

Tom Sinclair

A CALL is going out for people to have their say on Pembrokeshire County Council’s budget for the coming year, 2024-25.
Like all other Councils in Wales, the Council continues to face significant budget pressures – especially in light of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
The Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, Cllr Alec Cormack, encouraged all those interested in how the Council is funded and how it spends its funds to take part in the consultation.

“It’s very important that we hear from as many people in Pembrokeshire as possible,” he said.
“Like other Councils, we are once again facing significant budget pressures and understanding community and household priorities is vital in helping us to make the difficult choices necessary in setting the 2024-25 budget.
“We look forward to hearing from you.”
The consultation includes a range of proposals on service changes, fees and charges and Council Tax.
To find out more and to give your views go to: https://haveyoursay.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/budget-consultation-2024-25
The closing date for responses is Wednesday 3rd January 2024

News

Tenby holiday park solar panels plans get thumbs-up

Published

6 days ago

November 30, 2023

Bruce Sinclair Local Democracy Reporter

PLANS for nearly 600 solar panels at a Pembrokeshire holiday park have been approved by council officers.

Kiln Park Estates Limited applied to Pembrokeshire County Council to install 589 solar panels, each rated at 400watts, at Kiln Park Holiday Centre, Marsh Road, Tenby.

No objection to the application was made by neighbouring community council Penally.

A report for planning officers said the roof-mounted panels at the holiday centre “would result in positive economic and social benefits through the generation of renewable energy to support the provision of a facility to serve the visitor economy”.

The report added: “The site is located in close proximity to the boundary of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (PCNP), which cuts through the north-east portion of the holiday entertainment centre and the static caravans to the east.

“The PCNP Authority has confirmed that the proposal is sensitively sited on the roof of the complex and would have no impact on the landscape nor special qualities of the National Park and therefore does no object.

“It is considered that the scale and siting of the proposal and use of the materials would not have a significant detrimental impact on the residential or visual amenity of the area.”

The application was conditionally approved under delegated powers, with a condition works start within five years.

News

Air Quality Bill passes amid road charging row

Published

6 days ago

November 29, 2023

Jon Coles

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT’s Air Quality legislation only awaits Royal Assent after passing its final vote in the Senedd.

The World Health Organisation has described air pollution as the world’s largest environmental health risk and noise pollution as the second largest risk in Western Europe.

The Welsh Government is the first government in the UK to bring forward legislation that requires governmental consideration of soundscapes, and the Bill places a duty on Welsh Ministers to promote awareness of air pollution and to publish a progressive national soundscapes strategy.

The Bill, introduced to the Senedd in March 2023, passed on Tuesday, November 28.
It implements measures that contribute to improvements in the quality of the air environment in Wales and reduces the impacts of air pollution on human health, biodiversity, the natural environment and the economy.

Wales experiences some of the United Kingdom’s poorest air quality, and air pollution presents the nation-state’s biggest environmental risk to public health. The health impacts of air pollution exposure within the country are estimated to contribute to 1,400 premature deaths annually.

The Welsh Government has enjoyed considerable cross-party support during the Bill’s long gestation, with Conservative members repeatedly criticising the failure to bring forward a Bill in the last Senedd term, which ended in 2021.However, despite supporting most of the Bill’s principles, the Conservatives voted against its passage on the issue of road charging.

The Welsh Government has repeatedly claimed it has “no plans to introduce road charging” in Wales.
Mark Drakeford made the position explicit in October. Even with the provisions clearly stated in the Bill – Climate Change Minister Julie James repeated that line during Tuesday’s debate.

The Welsh Government’s line is that although it now has the power to introduce road charging to improve air quality, it will do so, as far as Julie James says, “only as a last resort”.
Welsh Ministers do not “plan” to introduce it unless the “last resort” arrives.

As attempts to defuse electorally difficult issues go, several angels are dancing on a very small pinhead.
Janet Finch-Saunders, the Conservative’s Shadow Climate Change Minister, seized on the road charging issue and claimed the Welsh Government was targeting motorists.

She said: “Throughout the Environment Bill’s passage through the Welsh Parliament, the Welsh Conservatives aimed to make the Bill succeed for the people of Wales by achieving amendments that would make it work better.”

The Aberconwy MS continued: “Nevertheless, with the Labour Government’s Environment Bill introducing road charging for hard-working residents simply trying to get on with their lives, the Welsh Conservatives could not support it.”

A pointed intervention by Plaid MS Llyr Gruffydd diminished the potential for the Conservatives to gain political traction on the issue.

He asked what lessons the Welsh Government had learned from the Conservative Westminster Government’s introduction of road charging in England.

The way the Conservatives chuntered at the gibe underlined its effectiveness.

Climate Change Minister Julie James said: “I am delighted the Senedd has passed the Bill. It demonstrates a collective commitment to support preventative action about air, noise and soundscapes to achieve public health and environmental improvements.
“This Bill enables us to deliver enhanced air quality targets for Wales, with strengthened duties for Welsh Ministers to set out how we will improve our air environment. It also improves our legislative powers to manage air quality better at the local and regional levels. Finally, it sets out important new duties for Welsh Ministers to promote awareness of air pollution alongside ways of reducing its impact.

“We must empower this generation and future generations with knowledge of the impacts of air pollution and the steps they can take to minimise their exposure.

“Now is the time for action. I look forward to continued collaboration with delivery partners, stakeholders and the public to implement the Bill.”

The Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Sir Frank Atherton, said: “Wales already has a strong track record of leading the way in protecting the public’s health. The Bill shows the dedication and commitment across the Welsh Government to improving the air we breathe and promoting healthy soundscapes.

“We know exposure to air and noise pollution can increase the risk of serious illness, impact our wellbeing, and reduce our quality of life. That is why I am delighted this legislation has become law.

“By making our air cleaner and our sound environment better, we can improve public health for current and future generations.”

As for road charging, it all depends on how much you trust the Welsh Government.