"Councils should spend less time and money on town hall Pravdas that end up in the bin..." (Hammersmith and Fulham Liberal Democrats)

Hammersmith and Fulham Liberal Democrats <info@hflibdems.org.uk>

"Councils should spend less time and money on town hall Pravdas that end up in the bin..."

June 27, 2010 12:42 PM

It would appear that our Local Government Minister Eric Pickles had an enlightening visit to H&F this week. when he came to congratulate our Council on publishing details of all Council spending over £ 500.

Monday 21 June - "Eric Pickles visits H&F to welcome spending transparency." As the local Tories (on first-name terms with the great man) report "Eric welcomed the fact that residents in the borough will now be able to see what the council is spending. He said: "Local people should be able to hold politicians and public bodies to account over how their hard earned cash is being spent and decisions made on their behalf. The swift and simple changes that Hammersmith and Fulham have made today are an important first step towards getting council business out in the open and revolutionising local government."

Thursday 26 June - No more propaganda on the rates, according to a Channel 4 report: Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has launched a review into council-funded free newspapers, telling Channel 4 News's Stephanie West they are "propaganda on the rates dressed up as local reporting" that could damage the local newspaper industry.

"It's the unfair competition against newspapers and i think it is very important that we have an independent voice bringing local government to account. I have seen newspapers that are frankly masquerading as local papers when it comes from the council. How can the council hold itself to account?"

The BBC quotes Mr Pickles: "The previous government's weakening of the rules on town hall publicity not only wasted taxpayers' money and added to the wave of junk mail, but has undermined a free press. Councils should spend less time and money on weekly town hall Pravdas that end up in the bin, and focus more on frontline services.... ... our free press should not face state competition from propaganda on the rates dressed up as local reporting."