What a rush of non-jobs there were this week. This from the papers today – a deputy Twittercrat for the Cabinet Office earning £75,000 a year – came astonishingly close to being the non-job of the week. Our non-job, however, comes from one of the 406 government jobs available in government today. From Buckinghamshire County Council:
“Media Communications Officer
£30,641 – 34,097 per annum
Looking for a career development opportunity?
We are looking for an experienced and hardworking Media Officer to join the Corporate Communications team working at the centre of the organisation.
“Our policy is to be open and honest in dealing with the media to develop a sense of trust between the Council and the public via the media”
You must be a strong communicator, enthusiastic, energetic and brimming with ideas; have excellent interpersonal skills and enjoy engaging with people at all levels; working with County Councillors, officers and services. The role involves responding to emerging issues, developing media strategies, preparing articles and contributing to corporate PR campaigns. You will be a part of a team that ensures the Council actively promotes its work to local residents and takes advantage of opportunities for enhancing the Council’s reputation
We operate a 24/7 media service, if you are ready to hit the ground running, this could be the right move for you.”
One thing jumps out of the advert – is there already a belief that there isn’t a sense of trust between the council and the public? We know there is – who in their right mind would trust anyone who keeps wasting money and asks for more. Admitting it, however, is a brave sign from the council.
However, another communications officer at the council, taking scarce funds from the frontline, isn’t the answer. The answer is to have councillors do more than canvass at election time. Were we to have a more open political system, with local referenda as a way of engaging more people in the political process, then maybe the people would trust politicians more.
But as usual, instead of accepting the blindingly obvious solution of cutting back on their profligacy and engaging more with their constituents, the council opts for the norm and throws money at a problem. Sigh.