Social media Councillor shifts position on monitoring

Na U-turn a leading Green councillor has defended monitoring the social media of parents of disabled children.

- Alex SEABROOK Local democracy reporter

In opposition Green Councillor Christine Townsend criticised the surveillance and called for an inquiry, but now in power she is questioning if an inquiry is needed.

Three years ago staff at Bristol City Council were revealed to be monitoring social media accounts of several parents, who were deemed to be too critical of the education department. It caused an uproar.

Since May last year Cllr Townsend has chaired the children and young people policy committee. In a committee meeting on Thursday last week, she faced questions about whether social media monitoring was still taking place - and why an inquiry still had not been set up.

Labour Cllr Kerry Bailes, a mother of a child with special educational needs, claimed she was spied on herself. She said: "Our social media accounts were tracked and screenshots were taken. Some of those officers still work here. I'm included in that, and I've seen the evidence.

"The council still denies it happened. We were promised an independent investigation, and we haven't had it. My concern is that this did happen, the council can deny it all they want, this happened to a small group of us."