We still hear more and more murmurings of 3 million unemployed by the end of the year. But not in local government! Fewer people in the private sector paying for yet more in the public sector makes for economic catastrophe. Of the 519 government jobs you can apply for this week, we found this one from Knowsley Council:
“The future is Knowsley
Be part of it
Communications Manager Corporate Resources
£34,107 - £36,730
Knowsley is transforming and is looking for a highly innovative, creative, driven person to join our communications team and help deliver an ambitious communications strategy. Our vision is to become 'the borough of choice' and you will play an important role in making this happen.
For full details of this post please log onto www.knowsley.gov.uk
For further information contact Phillipa Cook, Head of Communications on 0151 443 3062
REC 01358
Closing date: 27th February 2009”
Wow. The ‘borough of choice’, eh! Does that mean Knowsley will be implementing education and health vouchers, flexible pension provision, personal investment accounts and the such? No, because it can’t and even if it could, I don’t think a ‘choice’ agenda would be implemented as we see it. Or, rather, are they being modest and saying that your role as a communications manager will make the masses flock to Knowsley?
It’s neither because, you guessed it, this is a propaganda job, a part of the non-essential spending we monitor through our Council Spending Uncovered series of papers to highlight to you where your councils are wasting your money. Should you be a resident of Knowsley borough, you now know your council hasn’t heeded our advice and continued to recruit in its propaganda wing.
Knowsley has increased its propaganda spend 77% since 1997 and, although not nearly the worst offender, spends £1.5 million on its publicity that is above the national average. The leader of the Council is Ron Round and you can contact him here to send him our report into council publicity spending and also to ask him why his council keeps squandering taxpayers’ money on non-jobs.