14 January 2010
Source: LocalGov.co.uk ()

Council ‘newspapers’ come under fire, again


Chris Smith

Council newspapers have again come under fire, with MPs calling for more support for the local press.

A House of Commons debate heard calls from a cross-party group of MPs for ministers to do more to safeguard local and regional papers from unfair competition.

Council-run newspapers were accused of publishing weekly propaganda publications subsidies from the public purse.

Liberal Democrat chief whip Paul Burstow, who organised the debate, delivered a scathing attack on London Borough of Tower Hamlets for operating unfair competition against the East London Advertiser.

The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham was also singled out for criticism for its fortnightly publication.

Conservative MP John Redwood and Labour MP Harry Cohen also added their concerns.

Conservative Reading East MP Rob Wilson called for tougher rules on publicity spending by councils.

Mr Burstow said: ‘Just imagine if a beleaguered prime minister were to decide to hire a team of journalists and commentators to turn out a daily newspaper to create a positive image of the Government, talking up its achievements, always on message – all at a huge cost to the taxpayer. There would be an outcry.

‘But that is what is happening at a local level. There is a sinister emerging trend in some corners of local government which is determined to directly compete with local independent newspapers, to put them out of business.’

He called for the true costs of local council papers to be made public and warned: ‘Without action the risk is the creation of 21st century rotten boroughs, where the only news freely available to everyone is provided by the council.’

The Audit Commission is already reviewing impact of council publications but it cannot rule on unfair competition.

Minister for creative industries, Sion Simon, pledged to refer the matter to the Office of Fair Trading and for Ofcom to investigate.





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