Call to axe council magazine

nlnews@archant.co.uk
29 July 2010

HARINGEY'S council-funded newspaper has been slammed as a "cynical political tool" in the wake of pleas to tighten rules on town hall media.

The opposition Liberal Democrats insist Haringey People, which is sent out to residents' homes 10 times a year and comes with a £255,000 annual price tag, should be cut from a "disgraceful £3million spin budget"

Councillor Ed Butcher, the Liberal Democrat spokesman for resources, said: "The Labour administration have used Haringey People as a cynical political tool. Communication with local people is needed and the council has a duty to inform residents of local issues but Haringey People is not worth the paper it is written on and is part of Labour's disgraceful £3million spin budget.

"With tough financial times ahead the council should do what they should have done years ago and cut back this political rag and start investing in key services and stop wasting money on political propaganda."

The call comes as local government secretary Eric Pickles urged local authorities to spend less time and money on "town hall Pravdas", which he said wastes taxpayers' money and undermines a free press.

The government is set to hold a consultation on the best way to tighten the rules.

A council spokesman defended the paper as residents' "most preferred" source of council information, adding: "Haringey People is an efficient and valued means of communicating with residents.

"At a cost of 25p per household per issue, it is a highly cost-effective means of communication. At 10 issues a year, Haringey People is not a newspaper and does not seek to duplicate what is reported in more immediate news outlets.