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Paying for propaganda
• I SPENT a lot of time in the recent European election out on the street campaigning for the Lib Dems. It’s not just that I think the Lib Dems ought to win elections – although I do! – I genuinely enjoy getting out and meeting people.
For the Lib Dems, political campaigning is very much a labour of love. We raise our money locally through voluntary donations, and the leaflets are pushed through doors by people who care about the issues.
With the publication of MPs’ expenses, I was shocked to see the kind of resources that are being arrayed against us. Local Labour MP Emily Thornberry spends tens of thousands of pounds of public money every year having leaflets printed and delivered – while the Lib Dems pound the streets doing it ourselves.
Ms Thornberry spent the ninth highest of all MPs on “communications” – having campaigning letters delivered to constituents through the post, £17,000 a year.
And she tops her communications allowance up through her expenses account. She spent hundreds of pounds on consultants to come up with “creative concepts” for her leaflets. She spent thousands of pounds having them printed and further thousands having them delivered.
This isn’t money being spent just on individually replying to constituents’ letters – a lot of this money is being spent on mass circulars.
Basically, taxpayers are paying tens of thousands of pounds to have Ms Thornberry send us her propaganda. I for one don’t think that’s good value.
Cllr MARISHA RAY
Lib Dem, Clerkenwell
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