Millions of pounds of public money is being spent by local councils on self-publicity and spin, according to an independent group representing taxpayers.
The overall amount spent on publicity in the West Midlands, which includes public relations departments and press office teams, has more than doubled over the last 10 years states the TaxPayers’ Alliance in a report.
As an average, it has risen by 118 per cent from £539,190 in 1996/97 to £1,175,598 in 2006/07. The report is part of a review.
Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Dudley and Staffordshire are amongst 73 of the country’s 450 local authorities that spend more than £2 million on publicity.Big spender Birmingham City Council has the highest spend in the West Midlands, lavishing more than £10 million on public relations.
The report, by the Taxpayers’ Alliance, is part of a major review it is carrying out of local authority expenditure, highlighting “spending that could and should be reviewed”. It says the figures, uncovered by the Freedom of Information Act, challenges the claim town halls are short of money.
Matthew Elliott, who is chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It’s important for council taxpayers to see just how their hard-earned money is being spent by town halls.”
He added: “With council tax doubling in the past decade, it’s extremely disappointing that councils have chosen to double their publicity budgets over the same period.ÊWith the internet cutting the cost of communication, it shouldn’t be difficult for local authorities to find savings in this area and bring council tax down.”
Across the Black Country, Wolverhampton spent £2,695,000 on publicity last year; Sandwell £2,199,208; Dudley £2,565,000 and Walsall £1,462,000.
Elsewhere, Cannock Chase is spending £460,000; Lichfield £282,000; South Staffordshire £110,000; Stafford £426,000; Staffordshire £2,481,000; Wyre Forest £330,880 and Bridgnorth £31,103.
Janet Priestley, for Birmingham City Council, said it was spending less per head on publicity than others.
By Sally Walmsley
14 Comments
they could save a fortune by scrapping those infuriating dumbed down glossy leaflets, or rather magazines.
welcome to rip off britain they don’t give a damn about us or our hard earned council tax but i bet they’ll be putting it up again because they will say they need extra tax to pay for services,here’s one for the coucils STOP WASTING OUR MONEY IT’S NOT YOURS TO WASTE YOU WASTE OF SPACE THE LOT OF THEM.
and they wonder why they have got to take a 11 grand pay cut.tut tut tut
What a con. STOP WASTING TAXPAYERS MONEY YOU THIEVING COUNCILS.
General election please!
Erm… a general election is to elect Members of Parliament. I think you meant “local election” Rob Wolf.
See the intelligence of the people Councils have to deal with? Anyone would think they’d need to send a leaflet to them, to explain the simple difference between a general and a local election. Cretin.
Oh, this is great, the Tax Payers Alliance making accusations of spin! What a joke!
As someone working in the marketing industry, reading the report elsewhere, the TPA fail to say what they actually mean by ‘publicity’.
The TPA are using people’s ignorance and assumptions to decide what they think is ‘publicity’. It’s a hell of a lot more than glossy brochures and to be honest. The one or two I’ve had from my local authority (South Staffs) seem pretty frugally produced.
Are the TPA seriously suggesting that local councils should get rid of their tourist information leaflets, concert venue information, what’s on guides?
Birmingham spends £10 million - it’s a major tourist destination and the second biggest place in the UK. Of course it’s going to spend more than smaller councils. Duhhh! Pretty basic.
To Popovitch,
Instead of calling Rob wolf a cretin read what he actually states dick head, to get rid of local council policies we need to get rid of this corrupt government or is that to difficult for someone as dense as you obviously are to understand.
christ with the waste of space people like you are no wonder we are in such a mess.
Jeff people manage to read papers, read posters, read various leaflets shoved up their noses, why spend money on glossy magazines when the majority of the public never even see them, go to your local tip sometime and see where they get dumped. :))
Aren’t these the very same councils who close special schools, old peoples homes, get rid of meals on wheels etc because the council don’t have enough funds.
As you say pretty basic isn’t it, perhaps your company is one of those that benefits from printing the various council leaflets for a good price:))
Get snouts out the trough party
In response to roy jenkins: No, my company does not work in the public sector. Most councils do all their work internally and don’t contract out.
How do you find out when your bins are collected over Christmas? When leisure centres are open? How big businesses invest in an area? It’s called publicity, marketing and advertising. The Taxpayers Alliance clearly know nothing about them.
For people to consume or take up and use goods and services they need to be informed and persuaded. It’s how business works and it’s no different an approach for a local authority.
The Taxpayers Alliance would have been better off at looking at costs per head rather than the bottom line figure. It’s deliberate distortion and misrepresentation otherwise to score political points.
Jeff,
If councils do there own work why are the bins contracted to Biffa, why are old peoples home given over to private companies, etc, etc.
I find out about my bin collection by the sticker stuck on it by the bin men. When business’s are advised about investments its done by letter or the old boys system. To say people need to be informed by councils then why can’t we be given figures we want and need.
I know nothing about the Taxpayers Alliance but if its a toss up of who i believe between them and council officials i would belive the Taxpayers Alliance every time. We only have to look at the fiasco of funds being handed to this government illegally to clarify the lies.
Regards knowing when Leisure Centres etc are open i read their adverts or look up what i need on google no millions needed to be spent by my council. :))
Get snouts out the trough
Jeff - do you work for the council?? - I think you have find the following:-
Council housing - some repairs contracted out privately.
Social Services Care Packages - contracted out privately
General Stationery - Contracted out privately (no one makes their own paper lol!!)
Parks - contract some of their work out
Bin collection - some contracted out privately
Not to mention the amount of money spent on agency staff!!!!
I could go on…….
our beloved councils not,millions wasted year after year,yet when the good people of tipton just want some offical to support our charity christmas tree lights,they don’t give a toss could’nt even bother to switch the lights on for us it’s time to bring back tipton+rowley council back local folk not parliment wannabes.
Jeff, “It’s how business works and it’s no different an approach for a local authority.” … Yeas the is a huge difference, IT’s OUR MONEY. If a buisness squandered monet like this they’d go banckrupt, the council simply put the rates up, THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE.
Coo, this article has sparked a lot of predictable reaction. Shall we look at a few things?
Taxpayers Alliance - independent group representing the taxpayers. That would be the group headed by a former aide to a Conservative MEP and who’s contributors list reads like a who’s who of Conservative wannabes. As for representing the taxpayer, well as one, they certainly don’t represent me.
As Jeff said, using a headline figure of overall cost is pretty pointless as a comparison given the varying sizes of local authorities but it is also disingenuous to use phrases like PR and spin because what’s actually being considered is ‘publicity’ which incorporates many different facets, right through from fliers, to information booklets, staff salaries, to tourist and events marketing.
Roy, you raise a few interesting points. By the way, any chance of an answer to my question on the other thread? I think you misread Jeff’s comment because it was obvious he was referring to production of publicity material which most councils do internally as it is cheaper to do it that way. If you know anything about the printing trade you’ll know how expensive particularly ’short runs’ are to outsource to a printer.
As for how you find information, well, don’t you realise that the sticker on your bin is precisely what is included in these publicity budgets. As for the whole old boys network, well that’s very inclusive and open isn’t it?
As for both your mention of the internet as a source of information along with Matthew Elliot from the TPA. Like many things it’s great, ‘if’ you’ve got it. Just because it suits you, it doesn’t suit others nor do they have access to it. Council’s have an obligation to disseminate information as best as they can as widely as they can. Adverts in papers, leaflets, they all cost money but to not do this means an even greater widening of the gap between those who have the information and those who haven’t. By the way, the argument about using the internet is a logical fallacy, do you know how much it costs to build websites or have staff with the relevant qualifications and ability to do so? I’d advise a look through the jobs sections of the local authorities for when these posts come up, it’s not cheap mate.
sorry Mr. Penquin response not printed for me:((
Get snouts out the trough party