§ 4.2 pm
§ Mrs. Angela Rumbold (Mitcham and Morden)I beg to move,
That leave be given to bring in a Bill to prevent local authorities from incurring expenditure on advertising for party political purposes.The Bill would add to sections 137 and 142 of the Local Government Act 1972 a subsection stating:
Nothing in this section shall permit expenditure upon any advertisement or publicity material designed directly or indirectly for party political purposes.Section 137 gives local authorities power to spend up to the product of a 2p rate on purposes not otherwise authorised by statute. It thus allows local authorities to give grants to any organisations that they deem to be worthy. As no substantive challenge has been made to the terms of the section through the district auditor or the local government ombudsman, at present money can be used for purposes such as supporting to the tune of about £35,000 a celebration for the centenary of Karl Marx and providing more than £30,000 for the Waltham Forest police monitoring group, the aim of which was to oppose the local police, and £21,712 for Women in Greenwich. Similar amounts have been granted to many other organisations for similarly ridiculous purposes.
A recent example which attracted the attention of the district auditor was the allocation of money under section 137 to an organisation called Capital, described as
the trade unions and transport users organisationwhich sent out propaganda for the GLC using the pre-paid post. The district auditor has requested the council to remove that money from the grant to Capital. The point of principle, not the sum of money involved, is that funds from rates and taxes should not be used for political purposes. Indeed, my hon. Friend the Member for Stirling (Mr. Forsyth) has produced a booklet entitled "Politics on the Rates" setting out a large number of similar examples.
§ Mr. Frank Dobson (Holborn and St. Pancras)How much did it cost?
§ Mrs. RumboldI also wish to amend section 142 of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude advertising for purely party political purposes. At present, a local authority may provide—by whatever means it considers suitable — information relating to the services that it provides for its ratepayers. I believe that that is absolutely right. I have no wish at all to restrict the ability of local councils fully to inform their ratepayers of the way in which they spend their resources. Indeed, it is a fundamental tenet of good local government that councils should be required to explain openly the priorities that they set for local services.
The only restraint that I wish to impose on the section is on using money raised through taxes and rates for party political purposes. I believe that the emphasis on party politics in local matters has, alas, been due more than anything else to the manner in which legislation passed by this House has imposed greater and weightier burdens of responsibility and expenditure on locally elected councils.
§ Mr. Tony Banks (Newham, North-West)The truth is coming out now!
§ Mrs. RumboldThe manner in which this power could be misused first manifested itself with the publication of local newspapers such as The Londoner by the GLC, the Southwark Sparrow, if the House can credit that title, Outlook from Lewisham, and even, I regret to say, the Kensington and Chelsea News. Questions about expenditure on those publications have been raised in both Houses by those concerned about the cost to the ratepayer and the legitimacy of such expenditure.
The Government have always taken the view that such expenditure is a matter for the district auditor, but it has now escalated beyond the bounds of locally produced newspapers. The cost of a full page advertisement in The Times is £11,648 per day, and full page advertisements in the Daily Telegraph, The Guardian and The Times together cost more than £40,000 per day. In the past few months advertisements have been displayed regularly in all those newspapers suggesting that Government policy will deprive people of the arts, voluntary organisations and transport.
In normal circumstances, such advertising occurs only during national elections, when the cost is met by the headquarters of the party concerned. I believe that in such cases and, indeed, in all political advertising, the money should come from sources with full knowledge of the purpose for which it is to be spent. I would accept that principle, as many of my colleagues would accept it, for all political levies.
I cite an example of what I mean. To date, the GLC has spent more than £3 million on publicity.
§ Mr. Jeremy Corbyn (Islington, North)What does the Ministry of Defence spend?
§ Mrs. RumboldThe GLC has employed two people to service a special committee to deal with the campaign to fight the Government's abolition proposals and it has spent £98,000 on an extra edition of The Londoner to explain its objectives in this respect.
§ Mr. CorbynWhat about the anti-CND unit?
§ Mrs. RumboldThe GLC has a contract for £300,000 with advertising agents and has openly declared its objectives as
to block, delay and impede the Government's legislative proposals wherever possible, and to mobilise support among opinion formers and the wider public in opposition to the Government's proposals.
§ Mr. Tony BanksWhat a terrible thing to do.
§ Mrs. RumboldOther local authorities have spent money in a similar fashion. South Yorkshire has a publicity budget for this year of £160,000. There are endless examples. Sheffield and Lambeth have both produced videos to market their campaigns. Lambeth used a public information consultant and 75 per cent. of his costs in making the video were paid for by Lambeth council from a special supplementary estimate for £100,000 passed last financial year. The legal basis for that was section 142 of the Local Government Act 1972.
Under the same section, Sheffield city council has set up a campaign unit in London to which many local authorities have contributed since, at present, the section does not prevent an authority from taking such action and justifying it under section 142, where it may be interpreted as the provision of information, which is a function of a local authority.
372 Further to section 142 and the powers given for the use of upwards of a 2p product, I draw the House's attention to the purposes for which the London borough of Islington has endeavoured to put out of business a legitimate, commercial, local newspaper and substitute, through the use of money available to it under the powers of this section and section 137, a newspaper which is controlled by the majority party of the local authority and which offers advertising space at vastly reduced prices because of the subsidised nature of the funding. That has also enabled the council to run close to the boundary for advertising jobs within the council and for circulating highly suspect editorial comment to residents.
Finally, there is a precedent for the amendment to the Local Government Act, which could be applied most effectively. I refer to the Broadcasting Act 1981. Paragraph 8 of schedule 2 reads:
No advertisement shall be permitted which is inserted by or on behalf of any body whose objects are wholly or mainly of a religious or political nature, and no advertisement shall be permitted which is directed towards any religious or political end or has any relation to any industrial dispute".It is right that the clause is so far-ranging. The House has debated that clause many times.The opinion that was taken advised that "a political end" would mean the purpose of affecting in some respect, whether by altering it or maintaining it, the manner in which a community is governed or organised, or in which the power of government, either central or local, is exercised, and would include any purpose which would lead to a result that affected members of the community as members of that community in general, or members of a class within that community. An advertisement that would have this purpose or effect is therefore prohibited by paragraph 8 including—this is the critical sentence—an advertisement which attempts to influence Government policy whether or not it reflects the views of a political party.
Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I have substantiated my case with examples and given a precedent for my proposal. I ask the House to support this Bill.
§ Mr. Frank Dobson (Holborn and St. Pancras)I hope that the House will reject the Bill and not give the hon. Member for Mitcham and Mordern (Mrs. Rumbold) leave to bring it in. Conservative Members should perhaps follow the precedent set on 6 May 1782 when the House did not pass Rumbold's Pains and Penalties Bill, which was proposed to relieve the pains and penalties of a member of the Rumbold family who had been heavily involved in that squalid matter, the South Sea Bubble. The family appears to be in decline. This time, instead of relieving the family's pains and penalties, the hon. Lady seeks to impose them upon those with whom she does not agree.
It is an offence to waste police time, and it should be an offence to waste the time of the House. [HON. MEMBERS: "Then sit down."] The law on this matter is clear. Section 137 of the Local Government Act provides that an authority may incur expenditure for any purpose which in its opinion is in the interests of its area or inhabitants. Therefore, if a council spends the product or part of its 2p rate on party politics, it is open to challenge. I call in evidence the words of the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, who said: 373
It is clear that if section 137 were used for party political purposes that would be open to legal challenge".—[Official Report, 23 November 1983.]If it is open to legal challenge already, there is no need to change the law.We must first find which councils are spending their 2p rate. Islington council, which the hon. Lady mentioned, is entitled to a 2p rate in excess of £1 but it has spent only £361 million. [HON. MEMBERS: "Thousand."] I am sorry—£361,000. [HON. MEMBERS So far."] The GLC is entitled to raise £38 million, but it has spent only £8 million. [HON. MEMBERS: "Only!"] The Inner London education authority, which is entitled to spend £22 million of its 2p rate, has spent the princely sum of £7,500. Hon. Members should compare that with Tory Birmingham.
§ Mr. Robin Corbett (Birmingham, Erdington)It was Tory.
§ Mr. DobsonIt was at the time Tory Birmingham. It was entitled to spend £3.4 million, and it spent it.
The hon. Lady apparently objects to efforts to inform local people of the consequences of the abolition of the GLC and the six metropolitan authorities. That is not a party political matter. It is a view shared on the GLC and in the metropolitan counties by Conservative and alliance Members—where the latter exist. Therefore, it cannot be a purely party political matter.
The advertisements to which the hon. Lady especially objected invited people not to vote Labour, but to retain their right specifically to vote against the Labour party if they did not like it. The advertisements were in favour of democracy, not party political expenditure.
Tory Members wish to abolish certain councils, and, not content with that, they want the councils to say, "It's a fair cop, guv'nor, we'll come quietly." The authorities concerned will not come quietly. The threatened councils have taken to heart Dylan Thomas's advice and are refusing to
go gentle into that good night.If we consider other political organisations—the Tory Front Bench have all come in their ministerial cars to vote on this matter—it will be clear that the Government are spending much money on political matters.The 1979 Tory Government told us that all council tenants were aching to buy their council houses. Why then was it necessary for the Government to spend more than £1 million advertising the right to buy council houses? It was either unnecessary or party political propaganda. There are no other alternatives. The Tory party is pouring money into the pockets of its friends. Tory supporters in the City have received no less than £22 million of Government money for handling the Government's highly political sales of public assets, which all other parties opposed. That was a party political matter. Of that £22 million, no less than £3.5 million was taken by merchant banks and others who advised and assisted in selling British Aerospace, which was discussed earlier.
The Government are continually spending money to put over their point of view. The Government's Ministry of Defence, headed by the right hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine), established a special unit to combat the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, but immediately after the general election it was stood down. That suggests that it was set up for party political purposes.
374 The Government have circulated BUPA literature at public expense, but free to BUPA, to all civil servants to promote their point of view. That was a purely party political matter.
Conservative Members are like what the Australians refer to the Brits as—"a set of whingeing Poms." Year in, year out, the Labour movement puts up with all sorts of propaganda in all the news media, which is paid for by rich Tory Members and their friends. Then, when in a minor way the Labour movement fights back, the Government cannot take it, and nor can their supporters. The squalid proposition should be rejected immediately.
§ Question put, pursuant to Standing Order No. 15 (Motions for leave to bring in Bills and nomination of Select Committees at commencement of public business):—
§ The House divided: Ayes 232, Noes 141.
376| Division No. 302] | [4.18 pm |
| AYES | |
| Alison, Rt Hon Michael | Edwards, Rt Hon N. (P'broke) |
| Alton, David | Eggar, Tim |
| Amess, David | Evennett, David |
| Ashby, David | Fairbairn, Nicholas |
| Aspinwall, Jack | Fallon, Michael |
| Atkins, Robert (South Ribble) | Fenner, Mrs Peggy |
| Baker, Nicholas (N Dorset) | Finsberg, Sir Geoffrey |
| Baldry, Anthony | Fletcher, Alexander |
| Batiste, Spencer | Fookes, Miss Janet |
| Beaumont-Dark, Anthony | Forman, Nigel |
| Berry, Sir Anthony | Fox, Marcus |
| Best, Keith | Franks, Cecil |
| Biggs-Davison, Sir John | Fraser, Peter (Angus East) |
| Body, Richard | Freeman, Roger |
| Bonsor, Sir Nicholas | Galley, Roy |
| Boscawen, Hon Robert | Gardiner, George (Reigate) |
| Bottomley, Peter | Garel-Jones, Tristan |
| Bottomley, Mrs Virginia | Goodlad, Alastair |
| Bowden, A. (Brighton K'to'n) | Gorst, John |
| Bowden, Gerald (Dulwich) | Gow, Ian |
| Braine, Sir Bernard | Gower, Sir Raymond |
| Brandon-Bravo, Martin | Grant, Sir Anthony |
| Brinton, Tim | Greenway, Harry |
| Brittan, Rt Hon Leon | Gregory, Conal |
| Brooke, Hon Peter | Griffiths, E. (B'y St Edm'ds) |
| Browne, John | Grist, Ian |
| Bruinvels, Peter | Grylls, Michael |
| Bryan, Sir Paul | Hamilton, Hon A. (Epsom) |
| Buchanan-Smith, Rt Hon A. | Hamilton, Neil (Tatton) |
| Buck, Sir Antony | Hanley, Jeremy |
| Budgen, Nick | Haselhurst, Alan |
| Butler, Hon Adam | Hawkins, Sir Paul (SW N'folk) |
| Butterfill, John | Hayes, J. |
| Carlisle, John (N Luton) | Hayhoe, Barney |
| Carlisle, Kenneth (Lincoln) | Hayward, Robert |
| Carlisle, Rt Hon M. (W'ton S) | Heathcoat-Amory, David |
| Cash, William | Higgins, Rt Hon Terence L |
| Chalker, Mrs Lynda | Hill, James |
| Chapman, Sydney | Hirst, Michael |
| Chope, Christopher | Hogg, Hon Douglas (Gr'th'm) |
| Churchill, W. S. | Holland, Sir Philip (Gedling) |
| Clark, Hon A. (Plym'th S'n) | Holt, Richard |
| Clark, Sir W. (Croydon S) | Hordern, Peter |
| Clarke, Rt Hon K. (Rushcliffe) | Howarth, Gerald (Cannock) |
| Cockeram, Eric | Howell, Rt Hon D. (G'ldford) |
| Colvin, Michael | Howell, Ralph (N Norfolk) |
| Coombs, Simon | Hunt, David (Wirral) |
| Cope, John | Hunt, John (Ravensbourne) |
| Corrie, John | Hunter, Andrew |
| Couchman, James | Hurd, Rt Hon Douglas |
| Critchley, Julian | Irving, Charles |
| Crouch, David | Jenkin, Rt Hon Patrick |
| Currie, Mrs Edwina | Jessel, Toby |
| Douglas-Hamilton, Lord J. | Johnson-Smith, Sir Geoffrey |
| du Cann, Rt Hon Edward | Jones, Gwilym (Cardiff N) |
| Dunn, Robert | Jopling, Rt Hon Michael |
| Joseph, Rt Hon Sir Keith | Roberts, Wyn (Conwy) |
| Kershaw, Sir Anthony | Robinson, Mark (N'port W) |
| King, Rt Hon Tom | Rossi, Sir Hugh |
| Knight, Gregory (Derby N) | Rost, Peter |
| Knight, Mrs Jill (Edgbaston) | Rowe, Andrew |
| Lamont, Norman | Rumbold, Mrs Angela |
| Lang, Ian | Ryder, Richard |
| Lawler, Geoffrey | Sackville, Hon Thomas |
| Lee, John (Pendle) | Sainsbury, Hon Timothy |
| Leigh, Edward (Gainsbor'gh) | Shaw, Giles (Pudsey) |
| Lennox-Boyd, Hon Mark | Shaw, Sir Michael (Scarb') |
| Lester, Jim | Shepherd, Colin (Hereford) |
| Lewis, Sir Kenneth (Stamf'd) | Shersby, Michael |
| Lilley, Peter | Sims, Roger |
| Lyell, Nicholas | Skeet, T. H. H. |
| McCrindle, Robert | Smith, Sir Dudley (Warwick) |
| McCurley, Mrs Anna | Smith, Tim (Beaconsfield) |
| MacGregor, John | Smyth, Rev W. M. (Belfast S) |
| MacKay, Andrew (Berkshire) | Speller, Tony |
| MacKay, John (Argyll & Bute) | Spicer, Michael (S Worcs) |
| Maclean, David John | Stanbrook, Ivor |
| Madel, David | Stanley, John |
| Maginnis, Ken | Steen, Anthony |
| Major, John | Stern, Michael |
| Marland, Paul | Stevens, Martin (Fulham) |
| Marlow, Antony | Stewart, Allan (Eastwood) |
| Mates, Michael | Stewart, Andrew (Sherwood) |
| Mather, Carol | Stewart, Ian (N Hertf'dshire) |
| Mawhinney, Dr Brian | Stokes, John |
| Maxwell-Hyslop, Robin | Stradling Thomas, J. |
| Mayhew, Sir Patrick | Taylor, John (Solihull) |
| Mellor, David | Temple-Morris, Peter |
| Merchant, Piers | Thompson, Donald (Calder V) |
| Meyer, Sir Anthony | Thompson, Patrick (N'ich N) |
| Miller, Hal (B'grove) | Thorne, Neil (Ilford S) |
| Mills, Iain (Meriden) | Thornton, Malcolm |
| Monro, Sir Hector | Thurnham, Peter |
| Montgomery, Fergus | Townend, John (Bridlington) |
| Moore, John | Townsend, Cyril D. (B'heath) |
| Morris, M. (N'hampton, S) | Tracey, Richard |
| Moynihan, Hon C. | Twinn, Dr Ian |
| Neale, Gerrard | Viggers, Peter |
| Needham, Richard | Waddington, David |
| Neubert, Michael | Wakeham, Rt Hon John |
| Nicholls, Patrick | Waldegrave, Hon William |
| Onslow, Cranley | Waller, Gary |
| Oppenheim, Philip | Walters, Dennis |
| Osborn, Sir John | Watson, John |
| Ottaway, Richard | Watts, John |
| Patten, John (Oxford) | Wells, Bowen (Hertford) |
| Pattie, Geoffrey | Wheeler, John |
| Peacock, Mrs Elizabeth | Whitney, Raymond |
| Pollock, Alexander | Wiggin, Jerry |
| Powell, William (Corby) | Wilkinson, John |
| Prentice, Rt Hon Reg | Wolfson, Mark |
| Price, Sir David | Wood, Timothy |
| Raffan, Keith | Young, Sir George (Acton) |
| Rathbone, Tim | Younger, Rt Hon George |
| Rees, Rt Hon Peter (Dover) | |
| Rhodes James, Robert | Tellers for the Ayes: |
| Ridsdale, Sir Julian | Mr. Michael Brown and |
| Rifkind, Malcolm | Mr. Michael Forsyth. |
| NOES | |
| Abse, Leo | Callaghan, Jim (Heyw'd & M) |
| Archer, Rt Hon Peter | Campbell-Savours, Dale |
| Ashton, Joe | Canavan, Dennis |
| Atkinson, N. (Tottenham) | Carter-Jones, Lewis |
| Barron, Kevin | Clarke, Thomas |
| Beith, A. J. | Clay, Robert |
| Bell, Stuart | Cocks, Rt Hon M. (Bristol S.) |
| Benn, Tony | Cohen, Harry |
| Bennett, A. (Dent'n & Red'sh) | Coleman, Donald |
| Bermingham, Gerald | Corbett, Robin |
| Bidwell, Sydney | Cunliffe, Lawrence |
| Blair, Anthony | Cunningham, Dr John |
| Boothroyd, Miss Betty | Dalyell, Tam |
| Brown, Gordon (D'f'mline E) | Davies, Ronald (Caerphilly) |
| Brown, Hugh D. (Provan) | Davis, Terry (B'ham, H'ge H'I) |
| Brown, N. (N'c'tle-u-Tyne E) | Deakins, Eric |
| Dewar, Donald | Meadowcroft, Michael |
| Dixon, Donald | Michie, William |
| Dobson, Frank | Mikardo, Ian |
| Dormand, Jack | Millan, Rt Hon Bruce |
| Douglas, Dick | Morris, Rt Hon A. (W'shawe) |
| Dubs, Alfred | Nellist, David |
| Duffy, A. E. P. | O'Neill, Martin |
| Eadie, Alex | Orme, Rt Hon Stanley |
| Eastham, Ken | Park, George |
| Ellis, Raymond | Parry, Robert |
| Evans, John (St. Helens N) | Patchett, Terry |
| Fatchett, Derek | Pavitt, Laurie |
| Fisher, Mark | Pendry, Tom |
| Flannery, Martin | Pike, Peter |
| Foot, Rt Hon Michael | Powell, Raymond (Ogmore) |
| Foster, Derek | Prescott, John |
| Foulkes, George | Randall, Stuart |
| Fraser, J. (Norwood) | Redmond, M. |
| Freeson, Rt Hon Reginald | Rees, Rt Hon M. (Leeds S) |
| Freud, Clement | Roberts, Allan (Bootle) |
| Garrett, W. E. | Rooker, J. W. |
| Gould, Bryan | Ross, Ernest (Dundee W) |
| Hamilton, James (M'well N) | Rowlands, Ted |
| Hamilton, W. W. (Central Fife) | Sedgemore, Brian |
| Hardy, Peter | Sheerman, Barry |
| Harman, Ms Harriet | Sheldon, Rt Hon R. |
| Harrison, Rt Hon Walter | Shore, Rt Hon Peter |
| Haynes, Frank | Short, Ms Clare (Ladywood) |
| Healey, Rt Hon Denis | Short, Mrs R.(W'hampt'n NE) |
| Heffer, Eric S. | Skinner, Dennis |
| Hogg, N. (C'nauld & Kilsyth) | Smith, C.(Isl'ton S & F'bury) |
| Holland, Stuart (Vauxhall) | Smith, Rt Hon J. (M'kl'ds E) |
| Home Robertson, John | Snape, Peter |
| Hoyle, Douglas | Soley, Clive |
| Hughes, Dr. Mark (Durham) | Steel, Rt Hon David |
| Hughes, Robert (Aberdeen N) | Stott, Roger |
| Hughes, Roy (Newport East) | Strang, Gavin |
| Hughes, Sean (Knowsley S) | Straw, Jack |
| Janner, Hon Greville | Thomas, Dafydd (Merioneth) |
| Jones, Barry (Alyn & Deeside) | Thomas, Dr R. (Carmarthen) |
| Kaufman, Rt Hon Gerald | Thompson, J. (Wansbeck) |
| Kennedy, Charles | Thorne, Stan (Preston) |
| Kilroy-Silk, Robert | Wainwright, R. |
| Leighton, Ronald | Wallace, James |
| Lewis, Ron (Carlisle) | Warded, Gareth (Gower) |
| Lloyd, Tony (Stretford) | Wareing, Robert |
| Loyden, Edward | Weetch, Ken |
| McKay, Allen (Penistone) | Welsh, Michael |
| Mackenzie, Rt Hon Gregor | Williams, Rt Hon A. |
| McNamara, Kevin | Winnick, David |
| McTaggart, Robert | Woodall, Alec |
| Madden, Max | Young, David (Bolton SE) |
| Marek, Dr John | |
| Martin, Michael | Tellers for the Noes: |
| Mason, Rt Hon Roy | Mr. Tony Banks and |
| Maxton, John | Mr. Jeremy Corbyn. |
| Maynard, Miss Joan |
§ Question accordingly agreed to.
§ Bill ordered to be brought in by Mrs. Angela Rumbold, Sir Frederic Bennett, Sir Geoffrey Finsberg, Sir Anthony Berry, Mr. John Wheeler, Mr. Nicholas Lyell, Mr. Christopher Murphy, Mr. Richard Tracey, Mr. Michael Brown, Mr. Michael Forsyth and Mrs. Marion Roe.