Laura Sharman 12 January 2017

Welsh councils urged to cut 'propaganda spend'

Welsh councils have been urged to cut the amount of money they are spending on ‘propaganda’ after new figures showed they spent more than £1.6m on bulletins and newsletters in the past three years.

The figures - obtained through a freedom of information request by the Welsh Conservatives - showed Swansea was the biggest spender at £266,399.

The research shows that Caerphilly, Cardiff, Merthyr, Newport, Torfaen and Conwy also spent over £100,000 on political ‘bumpf’ since 2013/14.

However, shadow local government secretary, Janet Finch-Saunders, praised Monmouthshire council who spent nothing on bulletins and newsletters in this period.

Ms Finch-Saunders said: ‘Substantial sums are being spent by many Welsh councils on town hall propaganda, and taxpayers will rightly question why their hard earned cash is being spent on junk mail at a time when many frontline services are being cut.

‘Instead, councils should focus their resources on providing regular bin collections and on maintaining the standard of local roads.

‘We would urge Welsh councils to follow the lead of authorities like Monmouthshire, who have scrapped costly newsletters – and instead take advantage of the technology at their disposal to communicate with their constituents for free.'

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Chief Executive

Leicestershire County Council
Up to £234,171
This is a rare opportunity to lead a council with both strength and ambition at a time of change. Leicestershire
Recuriter: Leicestershire County Council

Director of Adults and Integrated Commissioning

Kent County Council
up to £129,530 per annum
A career-defining role at the heart of adult social care transformation. Kent
Recuriter: Kent County Council

Part Time Finance Administrator

Essex County Council
Up to £25081.00 per annum + Pro Rata
Part Time Finance AdministratorPermanent, Part Time£25,081 per annum, full time equivalentLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Senior Customer Services Adviser (Housing Repairs

Mansfield District Council
£28,598 - £33,699 per annum
Mansfield is a town of towns at the centre of things in Nottinghamshire - a place of many strong connections Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
Recuriter: Mansfield District Council

No Wrong Door Deputy Manager

North Yorkshire Council
From £47,181 up to £51,356 per annum pro rata
We’re looking for a passionate, driven, and dynamic professional to join our management team within our innovative No Wrong Door (NWD) service. Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Recuriter: North Yorkshire Council
Linkedin Banner