Senior Leicester councillor calls for taxpayers to fund Labour propaganda

Labour councillor Robert Wann - the man who wanted to build on the city's major nature reserve - wants to use a publicly funded magazine for Labour propaganda.

The Leicester Mercury reports:

In an e-mail to other councillors seen by the Mercury, Councillor Rob Wann said the magazine could be used to help publicise the party. ...

In the e-mail, Coun Wann said: "We have the Link magazine, which I think we can push a more Labour message through and ensure it gets to every household.

"Who cares if we are challenged for using it for political purposes? We have 52 councillors so why not?"

Link is published 10 times a year and delivered to residents across the city. It costs £346,000 to produce.

To his credit the newly elected Labour Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, has stamped on the idea. But this affair does emphasise the problem I wrote about the other day: Leicester has a Labour Mayor being watched over by an almost wholly Labour council.

In this case, the more sensible Mayor is reining in the council, but that isn't how the new system is meant to work. It's no way to run a city.