Surrey's Conservative Councillors gag the Press, Public and Councillors from using social media and filming meetings

Surrey's Conservative councillors have voted today to amend a motion from Hazel Watson, the Leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition on Surrey County Council, calling for the use of social media and the filming of meetings to "be permitted at all times, without written permission, in the public part of meetings provided it does not disturb the business of the meeting and there is sufficient space".

The Conservative amendment deleted large amounts of the original motion, and inserted that the Chairman of a meeting has to give permission in advance of a meeting for people (including the press, public and councillors) to report what is taking place in the public parts of meetings using Twitter, Facebook, Blogs and other social media or to film meetings.

At the first test of the new policy, the Chairman of Surrey County Council banned the use of Twitter during the afternoon session of today's meeting of Full Council.