COUNCIL DEFENDS PUBLICITY SPEND

Discusions (0)

19 December 2008

£1 million of cuts being made 

By David Yuill
davidy@southwarknews.org

COUNCIL LEADER Nick Stanton has defended Southwark's 'outrageous' payments for publicity after it was claimed the borough was the capital's biggest spender.

The local authority spent two and a half times the London average, ranking eighth on the national list after splashing almost £4.8 million on publicity, according to campaigners Taxpayers’ Alliance.

Stanton came under heavy criticism from the group, which campaigns for lower council tax. But he told the 'News' some publicity was essential for the public, while  Southwark was doing everything it could to reduce its costs elsewhere.

"Southwark is the largest London borough, with an annual turnover in excess of £1bn, and we have a lot of services to look after. Young mums need to know when they can take their kids to the swimming pool. Elderly people need to know the benefits they're eligible for to get the money to see them through the week. Tenants need to know who to ring if they see flytipping going on."

Stanton insisted that providing information on the council's plans, decisions and efforts were high up on the wish list for tax-paying residents. He said: "Independent MORI polls tell us that residents want more, not less, information, so we have a range of well presented communications such as Southwark Life, the website and pamphlets and posters, to help residents understand a whole myriad of services."

The council said there were no plans to expand Southwark Life, which costs £30,000 a time for its ten annual isssues, but refused to comment on whether it had been considered.

Stanton insists he is well on track to make £1m cut to publicity spending for the next financial year.

"Earlier this year we saved £1 million by restructuring and slimming down our communications team," he said. "We halved the number of staff, and made our communications process more efficient and effective."

But Southwark's Labour leader Peter John was furious with the priorities he claims Southwark has got drastically wrong.

He told the ‘News’: "It's absolutely outrageous that in a year when the council has cut social workers, closed the Livesey Museum and hiked the price of meals on wheels that the Lib Dem/Tory coalition are still spending more on spin than anyone else in London.

"The amount that the council spent on publicity last year would have been enough to keep the Livesey Museum open for the next 25 years.

"The Lib Dem resources boss will no doubt harp on about the fact that they've already trimmed the publicity budget, but the fact remains that Southwark spends more on publicity than Lambeth and Lewisham put together. If they and every other London borough can keep spending under control then why can't Southwark?

"Spending of this scale on spin and publicity really shows what the coalition's priorities are. They would rather put out publicity than keep service charges down and rather spend on spin doctors than on social workers."

The national average for council publicity spending is £966,000 a year. London's was £1.97million in 2007/08.

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