Boris accused of ‘propaganda on the rates’

A leaflet detailing City Hall’s spending and share of the council tax could be the subject of an official complaint by opposition parties on the London Assembly.

Every local authority must send homes information detailing their budgeted use of the council tax at start of each tax year.

The Greater London Authority provides an insert to accompany the council’s information as well as text to be displayed online detailing how the Mayor plans to spend his council tax precept.

Households will receive this year’s leaflets in the build up to May’s elections for Mayor and the London Assembly.

City Hall has strict rules about issuing material or launching initiatives in the build up to the election which could favour or disadvantage any candidate. The rules apply to all elected politicians at City Hall as well as their staff.

The approved text includes statements which highlight claimed policy achievements during Boris Johnson’s term. Some echo claims, disputed by rivals, made on the Mayor’s re-election campaign website.

Assembly Members have privately described the wording, personally authorised by Mr Johnson, as “propaganda” and a “taxpayer funded election address”.

Some opposition AMs are considering a making a formal complaint in the hope of forcing changes to the wording.

In 2004 a complaint by Conservative Mayoral candidate Steve Norris resulted in publicity material featuring Ken Livingstone being withdrawn from City Hall’s website during the election period.

Commenting on the approved text, Green Party Assembly Member and Mayoral candidate Jenny Jones said: “I am concerned that this statement from the Mayor steps over the legal line which prevents sending out propaganda on the rates.

“I hope the Mayor will recall the statement and ask himself if he is replicating the Pyongyang-style free sheet which he often criticised his predecessor about.”

Update: This site has seen internal emails between officers at one council in which a senior official outlined a number of proposed deletions and amendments to the GLA’s text designed to address concerns about the proximity of the election.

A City Hall spokesperson said: “The Mayor owes it to Londoners to explain the amount he taxes them. His explanation was cleared by senior legal officials and reflects the detail and tone of previous years.”