Knowsley Council accused of playing politics over campaign post

The photograph, showing a group of Labour councillors and activists outside a train station as part of a campaign against the planned closure of ticket offices in the borough, was shared across the council’s official social media channels following a motion put to full council earlier this week.

The motion, which was approved unanimously referred to action that had already been taken by chief executive Mike Harden to write to the secretary of state and Network Rail in opposition to the plans.

While the meeting was in progress, the outcome of the motion was posted about by Knowsley Council on social media, including the image of Labour councillors and non-councillor activists and candidates in the Labour party.

The leader of the opposition, Cllr Kai Taylor, complained to the council about the use of the image, claiming it compromised the council’s political neutrality.

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In an email seen by the LDRS Cllr Taylor stated: “I write in relation to the news story published on Knowsley News and the KMBC Facebook site yesterday evening following the unanimous approval of the motion to keep rail ticket offices open.

“I am shocked that the comms team have used an image from a Labour Party campaign event, including Labour Party campaigners who are not councillors holding Labour leaflets.”

He stated that he found it “highly inappropriate that a publicly funded communications department within the council is promoting a political party, as a Local Authority the council is required to be politically neutral.”

Cllr Taylor added: “Please could you look into this and confirm if it is in fact KMBC policy to use public resources to promote a political party?”

Cllr Kai Taylor

Speaking to the LDRS about the incident, Cllr Taylor, a representative for Prescot South ward, said this was not the first time council resources had appeared to have been used in a “political” way.

He said: “The council has a legal obligation to ensure that tax payers money and staff employed by the council are not used for political purposes or to support political organisations.

“If Knowsley Council are directing the council’s communications team to promote Labour candidates on their social media, then it raises questions as to what other forms of support do the council provide to the Labour Party courtesy of the tax payer.”

Cllr Taylor said: “This is not the first time Knowsley Council has appeared provide bias support to The Labour Party, at an action day last year a new Labour candidate who was standing for election was somehow invited to join the action day and the council promoted photographs of this candidate over their social media. It is fundamentally wrong for tax payers money to be spent on promoting political candidates in this way.”

Following Cllr Taylor’s complaint, the post was removed from social media and the Knowsley News website with the photograph no longer on display.

Knowsley Council was contacted for comment and a spokesperson said the post had been uploaded “in error.”

The spokesperson said: “The Council has received a complaint regarding a photograph being used in relation to its opposition to the closure of train ticket offices. It has been investigated and the photograph was used in error and was immediately removed and replaced.

“The message around the council’s opposition to proposals to the closure of ticket offices remains unchanged and an apology has been shared for the error.

“Additional quality checks on the content of photos will now be put in place to avoid any repeat of such an incident.

“All council officers are politically neutral and support the work of the council, all of its members – irrespective of political allegiance – and the services and support provided to its communities.”