Some people never learn. Our report into local government publicity spending revealed a half billion pound industry promoting local councils. This taxpayer-funded pat-on-the-back for local politicians and their council officers brought outrage from taxpayers, and rightly so. Help the Aged found that 10% of pensioners have to forego buying food and heating just to pay their council tax. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation estimated that two million taxpayers struggle to pay their council tax bills. Yet Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council hasn’t listened and they haven’t learned either. They are still content to ratchet up the public sector wage roster, spending more of your money on their own self-aggrandizing propaganda and not essential services or tax cuts. So we present to you this week’s non-job of the week:
“STOCKPORT METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL
Assistant Chief Executive (Communications)
We've lost our voice.
Package up to £90k
We are officially a top performing Council and improving well, something we are very proud of, because it confirms we are serving the public of Stockport well. We are also recognised as a leading Council for communications, and are determined to keep it that way: we want the Borough's achievements to be the talk of the town. That's where you come in. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, and as a key member of the community of senior officers, you will head a 20-strong team to lead all aspects of corporate communications: campaigns, reputation management, press relations, on-line content, public consultation and emergencies, working closely with senior councillors and officers. You will need political nous, excellent written and oral presentation skills, a strategic mindset, great judgement, good management skills, and the ability to work under pressure.”
It couldn’t be clearer. Stockport’s taxpayers are paying ever increasing council tax to employ spin doctors to hype up the council’s reputation and to constantly make up excuses for their own existence. All this job does is add to the £1.1 million publicity budget at Stockport Council. They already have 20 spin doctors, why do they need one more? So when your councillors attempt to justify another council tax rise, you know where the money’s going – to spivs and not services.
So spread the word. The Manchester Evening News reported the story when we released our report into publicity funding. Write to them at:
1 Scott Place,
Manchester,
M3 3RN ,
United Kingdom
Or send an email to [email protected]
Additionally you can contact the Stockport Express and Stockport Times by sending an email to [email protected].
Do keep up the pressure. We are getting a larger media presence and a more intensive grassroots operation. It’s time to hold these politicians to account and demand lower taxes!