News / Politics
Mayor refuses to pay for new council magazine
Bristol mayor George Ferguson dismissed the suggestion that he should pay for a £34,000 council magazine promoting the council’s work.
Former Lib Dem leader Tim Kent has called on the mayor to pay for the Our City magazine, which he called “propaganda”, out of his own campaign funds.
On Monday, the mayor was forced to defend the magazine which was delivered to homes in Bristol 11 months before he is up for election.
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And in an open letter on Tuesday, Kent called on Ferguson to repay the council. He said: “I ask that you do the decent thing and refund the council the full cost of the printing, distribution and design of the magazine from your own campaign funds.
“I think on reflection you will agree that this was an unwise use of public money and that refunding Bristol taxpayers is the correct course.”
Ferguson suggested to Bristol24/7 that Kent, who was part of an administration which produced a similar quarterly magazine, was contradicting himself.
“Would he pay for what he produced under his time in the council? I don’t think so,” he responded.
The new, one-off magazine has been paid for in part by a supplement from Bristol 2015, the company set up to run the Green Capital programme, making the net cost to the council £25,000.
Former communities and local government secretary Eric Pickles promised to close council newspapers last year. He said: “Town hall Pravdas not only waste taxpayers’ money unnecessarily, they undermine free speech.”
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