By Jaimie Kaffash
Pickles launched a consultation today which could prevent a local authority from releasing more than four newsletters a year. He also hopes to put an end to the hiring of lobbying contractors.
The local government secretary said: ‘The rules around council publicity have been too weak for too long, allowing public money to be spent on frivolous town hall propaganda papers that have left many local newspapers looking over the abyss – weakening our free press – or to use “hired-gun” lobbyists that operate in the shadows to bulldoze special interests through.’
But David Holdstock, national chair of LGcommunications, the professional body for council communicators said the plans will ‘limit councils' ability to communicate in the most appropriate and cost-effective way about local issues that matter to people’.
‘It seems the consultation fails to address the issue of councils publishing public notices in newspapers, a requirement that could result in tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers money being spent on propping up the local newspaper industry.’
Richard Kemp, leader of the Local Government Association’s Liberal Democrats group, said Pickles displayed ‘both hypocrisy and ignorance’.
‘Hypocrisy because he claims to be promoting localism while giving orders from Whitehall and ignorance because he has no idea what most councils do to keep residents informed of their activities,’ he said.
The proposals were in direct opposition to Prime Minister David Cameron’s views on the Big Society, in that council newspapers are essential to keeping residents informed, Kemp added.
James Hulme, director of communications at the New Local Government Network, questioned whether Pickles should be concentrating on this issue when the autumn Spending Review was so imminent.
He told Public Finance: ‘It smacks of hectoring and micromanagement. It is not particularly in line with what him and Cameron have been saying about setting councils free.
‘If residents feel they are wasting public money, there are ways and means of addressing this. I don’t see why the secretary of state should be getting involved in technical issues about how councils spend their money.’
In July this year, Pickles urged councils to stop advertising jobs in newspapers and magazines.
29 September 2010
Proposals by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles to limit the publishing of council-run newspapers could cost local authorities in the long run, leaders have warned.Pickles launched a consultation today which could prevent a local authority from releasing more than four newsletters a year. He also hopes to put an end to the hiring of lobbying contractors.
The local government secretary said: ‘The rules around council publicity have been too weak for too long, allowing public money to be spent on frivolous town hall propaganda papers that have left many local newspapers looking over the abyss – weakening our free press – or to use “hired-gun” lobbyists that operate in the shadows to bulldoze special interests through.’
But David Holdstock, national chair of LGcommunications, the professional body for council communicators said the plans will ‘limit councils' ability to communicate in the most appropriate and cost-effective way about local issues that matter to people’.
‘It seems the consultation fails to address the issue of councils publishing public notices in newspapers, a requirement that could result in tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers money being spent on propping up the local newspaper industry.’
Richard Kemp, leader of the Local Government Association’s Liberal Democrats group, said Pickles displayed ‘both hypocrisy and ignorance’.
‘Hypocrisy because he claims to be promoting localism while giving orders from Whitehall and ignorance because he has no idea what most councils do to keep residents informed of their activities,’ he said.
The proposals were in direct opposition to Prime Minister David Cameron’s views on the Big Society, in that council newspapers are essential to keeping residents informed, Kemp added.
James Hulme, director of communications at the New Local Government Network, questioned whether Pickles should be concentrating on this issue when the autumn Spending Review was so imminent.
He told Public Finance: ‘It smacks of hectoring and micromanagement. It is not particularly in line with what him and Cameron have been saying about setting councils free.
‘If residents feel they are wasting public money, there are ways and means of addressing this. I don’t see why the secretary of state should be getting involved in technical issues about how councils spend their money.’
In July this year, Pickles urged councils to stop advertising jobs in newspapers and magazines.
