What’s in the 40 page contract to distribute Wirral Council’s controversial Wirral View newspaper?

What’s in the 40 page contract to distribute Wirral Council’s controversial Wirral View newspaper?

What’s in the 40 page contract to distribute Wirral Council’s controversial Wirral View newspaper?

                                        

Last year Wirral Council asked organisations to bid for the delivery contract for its controversial Wirral View newspaper.

The distribution contract (Lot 2) was awarded to Smart Distribution Solutions Ltd for three years starting on 1st December 2017 (with an option to extend for a further two years).

Despite in section 5 of the contract Smart Distribution Solutions Ltd stating that they would be able to guarantee full coverage of delivery door to door, the publication has suffered distribution problems.
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Wirral Council awards new £750,000 contract for Wirral View newspaper

Wirral Council awards new £750,000 contract for Wirral View newspaper

Wirral Council awards new £750,000 contract for Wirral View newspaper

                                           

Cllr Matthew Patrick (right) Cabinet Member for Localism and Engagement (11th February 2016)
Cllr Matthew Patrick (right) Cabinet Member for Localism and Engagement (11th February 2016)

Wirral Council have awarded a 3 year £750,000 contract for its controversial Wirral View newspaper. The contract also has an extension option that can be exercised to extend it for a further two years.

Printing of the Wirral View newspaper has been awarded to Trinity Mirror Printing (which is a trading name of Trinity Mirror Digital Media Limited). Trinity Mirror Digital Media Limited’s “ultimate parent company, immediate parent undertaking and controlling entity” is Trinity Mirror PLC. Trinity Mirror PLC own one of the local newspapers called the Liverpool Echo.
Continue reading “Wirral Council awards new £750,000 contract for Wirral View newspaper”

6 month freedom of information battle almost over as government releases correspondence on Wirral View (Wirral Council’s controversial newspaper)

6 month freedom of information battle almost over as government releases correspondence on Wirral View (Wirral Council’s controversial newspaper)

6 month freedom of information battle almost over as government releases correspondence on Wirral View (Wirral Council’s controversial newspaper)

                            

Cllr Jeff Green (Conservative Leader) on the right speaking at the Extraordinary Meeting of Wirral Council to discuss Girtrell Court 4th April 2016
Cllr Jeff Green (right) (Conservative Leader) 4th April 2016 who has been lobbying the Conservative government about Wirral Council’s Wirral View publication

This story has been a 6 month freedom of information battle involving myself, the regulator ICO and the Department of Communities and Local Government involving correspondence between councillors on Wirral Council and MPs involving the controversial Wirral View publication published by Wirral Council.

Just for clarity, Wirral View is opposed by Conservative councillors, Liberal Democrat councillors and the Wirral Globe.

The ruling Labour Group on Wirral Council however supports the spending of taxpayers’ money on the project. Although it has to be pointed out that they have recently performed a U-turn and axed the issue that was scheduled to go out during the election period.

There have been repeated calls from the Labour Group on Wirral Council for the Conservative councillors to lobby the Conservative government. Although ironically they appear opposed to this sort of lobbying and have gone as far as to refer to this lobbying at at least one public meeting as inciting the government to take legal action against Wirral Council.

A series of recent decision notices issued by the regulator ICO (FS50646655, FS50646730, FS50651166) have dealt with information requests made to Wirral Council for copies of the legal advice they received on this matter.

Here are details of what has been released today. I will point out that some of the factual accuracy of what is in some of this correspondence is disputed.

However as editor I feel it is important that the voting public see what goes on “behind the scenes” on a politically sensitive issue in the lead up to a series of elections related to it (Claughton byelection, general election and Mayoral election).

An earlier name for the project was Wirral Today and its referred to that name in the email chain rather than Wirral View.

Document 1 – Wirral 1.pdf
Letter from Marcus Jones MP to Cllr Phil Davies (undated)
Metadata: created 28/6/16 modified 20/12/16

Document 2 – Wirral 2.pdf
Letter from Marcus Jones MP to Cllr Phillip Davies
(undated) but stamped 05 DEC 2016
Metadata: created 5/12/16 modified 20/12/16

Document 3 – Wirral 3.pdf
Letter from Cllr Phillip L Davies to Marcus Jones MP dated 28th July 2016
Metadata: created 1/8/16 modified 20/12/16

Document 4 – Wirral 4.pdf
Letter from Cllr Jeff Green to the Rt. Hon. Sajid Javid MP dated 1/8/16
Metadata: created 1/8/16 modified 20/12/16

Document 5 – Wirral 5.pdf
Letter from Marcus Jones MP to Cllr Jeff Green stamped 23 AUG 2016
Metadata: created 23/8/16 modified 20/12/16

Document 6 – Wirral 6.pdf
Letter (sent by email) from Marcus Jones MP to Cllr Jeff Green stamped 20 OCT 2016
Metadata: created 20/10/16 modified 20/12/16

Document 7 – Wirral 7 R.pdf
Letter from Cllr Jeff Green to Marcus Jones MP dated 4/11/2016 stamped 07 NOV 2016
Metadata: created modified

Redactions (note numbering is from top to bottom)

Page 1
Block 1 –
Block 2 –

Page 2
Block 3 –
Block 4 –
Block 5 –

Document 8 – Wirral 8.pdf
Letter from Marcus Jones MP to Cllr Jeff Green stamped 06 DEC 2016
Metadata Created 20/12/16 Modified 20/12/16

Document 9 – Wirral 9.pdf
Letter from Cllr Phil Davies to Marcus Jones MP dated 28th July 2016
Metadata Created 1/8/16 Modified 20/12/16

Note: this appears to be a redacted version of document 3.

Document 9a- Wirral 9a.pdf
Emails (various dates)

There have also been reported problems with distribution to Wirral residents of the first five editions of Wirral View (October 2016, November 2016, December 2016, January 2017 and February 2017).

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Why are the Conservatives opposing Wirral Council’s monthly Wirral View newspaper but not as vocal about Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority’s bi-monthly Hot News magazine?

Why are the Conservatives opposing Wirral Council’s monthly Wirral View newspaper but not as vocal about Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority’s bi-monthly Hot News magazine?

Why are the Conservatives opposing Wirral Council’s monthly Wirral View newspaper but not as vocal about Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority’s bi-monthly Hot News magazine?

                                      

Councillor Lesley Rennie (background left) at a meeting of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority 26th January 2017 discussing Hot News
Councillor Lesley Rennie (background left) at a meeting of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority 26th January 2017 discussing Hot News

I watched the Sunday Politics show today in which Cllr Lesley Rennie states of Wirral Council’s Wirral View newspaper, “It’s a complete waste of public money.

The presenter states, “Government rules state that any council papers can only be published quarterly but this one here has been printed every month.

Later in that segment, Cllr Matthew Patrick states, “We’re actually spending less and being able to put money back into the Council for services.” In response to a further question he states, “We have a free press on the Wirral, it’s a great press and they hold us to account as they should do.

Let’s just deal with these two issues, the legal one about the status of the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity and then Councillor Matthew Patrick’s curious comment about costs.

The legal situation is clear, Local Government Act 1986, s.4(1) states, “The Secretary of State may issue one or more codes of recommended practice as regards the content, style, distribution and cost of local authority publicity, and such other related matters as he thinks appropriate, and local authorities shall have regard to the provisions of any such code in coming to any decision on publicity.”.

Here’s a letter from the Department for Communities and Local Government to Chief Executives reminding them about this.

The Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity is clear on frequency as in paragraph 28 it states, “Where local authorities do commission or publish newsletters, newssheets or similar communications, they should not issue them more frequently than quarterly, apart from parish councils which should not issue them more frequently than monthly.” Just to be clear, Wirral Council is not a parish council.

The letter referred to above also refers to the Secretary of State’s power to direct compliance with the Code and the Secretary of State’s power to come up with legislation requiring local authorities to comply.

With regards to the financial point, section 4 of the Cabinet report about the Wirral View newspaper outlining the costs states the net cost (after advertising is taken into account) is £79,980 this financial year, £152,160 next year, £143,580 in 2018-19 and £134,142 in 2019-20.

If the advertising targets aren’t reached the costs will be higher. However, just to be clear the amounts expected from advertising are lower than the costs meaning there is no money from it to “put back into the Council for services”.

However, a point that hasn’t been made so far, is that the Code also applies to Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority. Cllr Lesley Rennie is one of the four Wirral Council representatives on the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority. Recently councillors discussed a bi-monthly colour magazine it produces called “Hot News” (the January-February 2017 issue can be read on their website).

So if Cllr Lesley Rennie is complaining about Wirral Council’s publication of Wirral View, why has she been so quiet about Hot News? Below is video of a public meeting of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority when Hot News was discussed where Cllr Lesley Rennie is sitting next to a councillor talking about Hot News.

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Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority 26th January 2017

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12 Strange Things the Mysterons want in another Thrilling Wirral Council Adventure!

12 Strange Things the Mysterons want in another Thrilling Wirral Council Adventure!

                                           

In a world of betrayal and lies where you can’t even trust your own party’s councillors.

Meet Councillor Phil Davies, one of the few politicians on the face of the planet determined not to change his mind in the face of those that say no!

The government said no! Opposition councillors said no! But Phil knew better and set off on a bold adventure of launching a newspaper called Wirral View.

One man defied fate and his name was Phil Davies. His mission was to bring the good news to the people setting him and Wirral Council on a collision course with the government.

What will the citizens of Wirral make of pretty pictures of fireworks or is this political drama even more explosive?

Watch as Wirral View enters into the final launch phase in this thrilling extraordinary political drama involving secret legal advice, a question about recycled paper and the mysterious Code!

Is it time for another episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons?
Is it time for another episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons?

“This is the voice of Wirral Council. We know that you can read us. You criticised us and you will pay a heavy price. Our next act of retaliation will be to destroy the local free press. Do you hear!? We will destroy the local free press!”

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Extraordinary Meeting (Wirral Council) Keeping Residents Informed 17th October 2016 Part 1 of 3

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Extraordinary Meeting (Wirral Council) Keeping Residents Informed 17th October 2016 Part 2 of 3

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Extraordinary Meeting (Wirral Council) Keeping Residents Informed 17th October 2016 Part 3 of 3

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