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Labour spent £500m on PR and advertising despite slump
THE Labour government spent a staggering £500m on advertising campaigns and PR in 2009-10, even as the public finances were spiralling out of control.
The Central Office of Information?– which is responsible for government marketing and communications – made the admission in its annual accounts yesterday.
Francis Maude, minister for the cabinet office, seized on the revelations as proof of Labour’s economic mismanagement, and said only the most essential campaigns would go ahead in the future.
He added: “Spending over half a billion pounds on communication when the government’s finances were in such a mess is inexcusable. We have a higher regard for taxpayers’ money.”