Free speech and effective local government.
Practical transparency,community involvement, stakeholders all the jargon, these principles are under threat.
Websites which comment on Local Authority decisions praising the good, criticising the bad, and exposing the unacceptable are being threatened by unspecific legal action by Local Authorities.
The letters appear to have a common origin,complaining of the anxiety and distress caused to individual officers. Carefuly written, the threats in the letter saying that individual officers MAY take action but not saying that the Council will take legal action.
Many individuals will be bullied by these letters into not criticising actions of the council in the fear that the council will use their full resources to close down such sites.
To use a phrase from the past "They are Paper Tigers"
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