Government minister Eric Pickles has again criticised councils such as Tower Hamlets which do not allow public meetings to be filmed.
Mr Pickles, who is Secretary of State for communities and local government, accused local authorities which don’t allow council meetings to be filmed of “suppressing freedom of speech and abusing state powers.”
“Without the sunlight of transparency, the flowering of localism will wither,” he said.
“Heavy-handed councils who call the police to suppress freedom of speech are abusing state powers.”
Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman has previously criticised Mr Pickles’ stance, calling on the government to allow filming of cabinet members.
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