On the topic of in-person vs virtual committee meetings, here are the views of four scrutiny chairs. Who do you think is correct?

Councillor Ali - ‘In-person only’

“In-person is so much better for democracy. The discussion is of a much higher quality and the people know they are being properly represented, in the room. You can see body language and feel the mood in the room and know that people are engaged in a way you just can’t with virtual meetings. Don’t forget the side meetings are so important to build relationships and get things done. You don’t get those with Teams calls.

And yes, I understand it can be difficult to attend in-person sometimes, and I’ll try and make it easier if I can. We can talk about the time and the place we meet, but I don’t think that attending virtually is the answer. I really want to see you in-person. Pandemics excepted, of course!

Councillor Barnes ‘In-person by default’

“Yes, I agree with Councillor Ali. In my experience, all of the best work is done in-person, whether in the meeting or outside. But I also think you need to bend a little sometimes. The town hall is a long way for some of my members to come so, even if we try to get everyone to the committee meetings, some of the planning meetings we do online. And if members have to attend the odd meeting virtually, well, we have the tech for that and I’d rather have them virtually than not there at all.

I also think, if we are too strict about this, we risk putting people off being councillors or pushing away the ones we have. I mean, it’s demanding being a councillor and we have to respect that.

Councillor Connolly ‘A mixed economy’

“Of course, in-person is important, and I don’t think you can have a committee without it, but virtual has its benefits as well, and not just for the accessibility and convenience. Some of my younger councillor colleagues say they prefer it. It seems a lot fairer to them how you can make a contribution, in turn, without being interrupted and without having to hear the muttering that, unfortunately, sometimes goes on when people are speaking.

So, I think it’s important to sit down together and talk about when do we want in-person and when do we want virtual. I’d say virtual is actually better for collecting views and evidence but then I prefer to be in the room when we are debating what we want to say about something. Yes, you need a mixed economy that gives you the best of both worlds.

Councillor Dimitriou ‘Virtual by choice’

“I’ll be honest, I absolutely prefer the virtual meetings and would like to work this way when possible. Of course, people need to have met in-person first, to build those relationships, otherwise it can feel awkward. But, after that, I find it much easier to manage meetings as a chair and I’m not afraid to mute someone when I need to!

The biggest thing for me, though, is the public view. My residents tell me it is so much easier to follow as you can see everyone and who they are. I think, as a chair, you are also more conscious of the audience out there for a virtual meeting and make more of an effort to say what’s going on. I also get more public attending and I’m sure this is because for many people now, joining online is much more accessible than the formality of the civic centre. I mean, it’s the future, surely?

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