Barry Town Councillors Refuse New Tablets

Barry Town councillors refuse to use £3,500 tablets bought by the council.

13:40 11 October 2018

The twenty-two Lenovo Tab 4 10 tablets, which cost the Barry Town Council more than £3,700, have been described by councillors as a waste of money in time of austerity. The gadgets were bought to reduce the use of paper and help councillors access meeting agendas and reports seamlessly.

 

Plaid Town Council opposition leader Cllr Shirley Hodges said: “Plaid voted against getting these tablets, we thought them an extravagance.

 

“We now have a bizarre situation of Labour and Tory councillors who voted for the tablets saying they don’t want them and can they stick to paper copies.

 

“I am afraid these tablets are expensive toys.”

 

She added: “They have also assumed everyone has wifi.”

 

Plaid Cymru councillor Ian Johnson added: “In February, Plaid Cymru suggested saving money by not buying tablets for councillors.

 

“We were outvoted by Labour and Tory councillors who voted together and insisted that they had to be bought and paid for with a council tax increase.

 

“Now, some of those councillors are saying that they don’t want them anyway and won’t be using them.