Twitter in live action

Twitter today proved just how useful it can be as a part of our democratic process.

Cornwall Council has recently introduced a wi-fi system in New County Hall which visitors and humble councillors like myself can access. As a member of the councillor twitter gang (we really need a better name), I have taken to occasionally tweeting live from meetings.

This afternoon I sent out a tweet about the meeting of the Sea Fisheries Committee that was just about to start and which would consider a new bye-law to prevent any scort of scallop fishing in a part of Falmouth Bay.

Almost immediately, my colleague Rob Nolan came back to me concerned that any such restriction would also hamper green energy schemes that may be planned for the same area. I was able to ask officers about this - despite knowing little myself on the energy issue. As it happened, the officers were able to allay Rob's worries - and we voted against the bye-law in any case.

But without Twitter (and without the new wi-fi) we would not even have been able to ask the question.