More North Korean type policies as Eric Pickles wants to use councils as a propaganda arm of the central state

by Irn Bru Wed Dec 18, 2013 8:32 am

Much attention has been paid to the government's "gagging law", which attempts to silence civil society. What is less widely known is that the government are also trying to silence elected local councils.

This week in Parliament, Eric Pickles is pushing through new powers to become the censor-in-chief of local government. At the same time, evidence is emerging that his department is encouraging councils to print pro-government propaganda.

Hidden within the government's local audit and accountability bill is a clause that will give Pickles, the secretary of state for communities and local government, powers to dictate when and how councils can publish communications to local citizens. Even more of a concern is the fact that Pickles is taking a power of censorship to direct what issues and information councils can talk about and what language and phraseology will be allowed.

Ministers have made clear that their intention is to prevent councils from sharing information or commenting on the impact of government policy if they disapprove of the message. Examples given by ministers include not allowing elected leaders of a local authority to publish a comment on the effect of central government funding changes, so furious are they that councils are letting their residents know the scale of cuts they are facing.

Under these new powers, the secretary of state could also force councils to use pro-government terminology, such as the benign sounding "spare room subsidy" rather than the unpopular and unfair "bedroom tax". Legal advice to the Local Government Association says the censorship laws will prevent local councils from publishing information on issues such as HS2 or health service reconfigurations.

http://www.theguardian.com/local-government-network/2013/dec/17/eric-pickles-powers-to-censor-local-government

I suppose there will be a ban on his biscuit bill being mentioned as well. Looks like the Commie in Pickles still lingers on.

by Guest Wed Dec 18, 2013 9:21 am

FGS!!!!!! How dare they try and interfere with what OUR elected local officials tell us about how OUR money is being spent and why!!!!

I hope they tell him to get stuffed, with his own biscuit tin.

More North Korean type policies as Eric Pickles wants to use councils as a propaganda arm of the central state

More North Korean type policies as Eric Pickles wants to use councils as a propaganda arm of the central state

Re: More North Korean type policies as Eric Pickles wants to use councils as a propaganda arm of the central state