Secretary of State Eric Pickles threatens Town Hall over continuing publication of Hackney Today ‘newspaper’

Is this the end of the Town Hall’s ‘Pravda’? Photograph: Claude Crommelin

Hackney Council has just two weeks to explain why the Government should not take action to stop the fortnightly publication of its freesheet, Hackney Today, Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles announced today (17 April 2014).

Mr Pickles describes such council-published papers as “propaganda on the rates”.

Formal letters have been sent to  a total of five London boroughs (Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest and Greenwich) triggering the first legal steps the Secretary of State can now take to require compliance with the Publicity Code for local authorities, under the new Local Audit and Accountability Act.

The code sets a range of provisions in relation to local authority publicity including the frequency, content and appearance of taxpayer-funded news-sheets. This includes limiting publication to prevent competition with local newspapers, obliging councils to be cost effective and objective in any publicity material they publish.

Hackney and the other four councils now have a fortnight to show why a legal direction is not necessary. Any council that does not follow the legal direction could end up facing a court order requiring compliance.

The Government says this is part of a series of measures to protect local democracy and enhance local scrutiny.

Mr Pickles said: “Localism needs robust and independent scrutiny by the press and public, and municipal state-produced newspapers suppress that. ‘Town Hall Pravdas’ not only waste taxpayers’ money unnecessarily, they undermine free speech.

I have given written notice to councils most clearly breaching the Publicity Code, noting that Parliament has passed new laws to tackle this abuse. We are prepared to take further action against any council that undermines local democracy – whatever the political colour.”

Asked for comment on the impending action by Government, a Hackney Council spokesperson said: “As stated by government, Hackney Council conforms to every aspect of the code except for the clause on frequency of publication.

“Publishing Hackney Today fortnightly is the most effective way for the council to communicate with its diverse mix of residents, both in terms of value for money and reach. Publishing it less frequently would actually cost the council more.

“It’s estimated that moving to a quarterly publication would result in the council having to spend at least an extra £100,000 a year to cover the cost of paying for statutory notices in local newspapers and printing and distributing materials currently included in Hackney Today.

“Latest MORI [opinion poll] research found 71% of Hackney residents feel well-informed about council services, 16% higher than the national average, and Hackney Today is stated as the most used and most trusted source of information on services.

“We have told the Minister many times that we will cease fortnightly production of Hackney Today as soon as he ends the costly and outdated requirement on councils to place statutory advertising in a local newspaper. As for claims that council newsletters compete unfairly with local press, no credible evidence has ever been presented to back this up – as concluded by a government select committee.

“We are reviewing the Notice from the Minister which has only just been received and will be responding to him. A breakdown and explanation of the cost of producing Hackney Today is publicly available on the council’s website.”