Islington Tribune - News: Time is up

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Islington Tribune - by MARK BLUNDEN
Published: 29 June 2007

Come in please, councillor, your time at the mic is up

A LARGE digital clock has been installed in the Town Hall’s main chamber to stop gasbag councillors from talking for too long.
The timepiece (pictured) made its debut at Tuesday night’s full council meeting.
It counts down from three or five minutes and gives councillors a red, amber and green set of warning lights.When the lights go red and the timer goes to zero it is the signal for members to shut up and sit down.
It was installed after a system of two small green and red lights by the Mayor’s chair failed to silence the most vocal councillors.
One audience member at Tuesday’s meeting said: “The clock seemed to work but the councillors love the sound of their own voices and sometimes forgot it was there.
“But every time they went over time, the opposition barracked loudly until they stopped and Mayor Barbara Smith seems to run a tight ship.”

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