How much?

£4,211,000.00p

If you think this is value for money then you must be very rich. After all its YOUR money they're spending. And mine.

Somerset County Council emerges as the biggest bankrolling spinner in the South West and one of the most profligate in Britain after a survey organised by the TaxPayers Alliance. Its a little difficult to know how they are managing to get through so many spondoolicks on press advertising and publicity. Their own website lists just seven press officers ( a breed not renowned as high wage earners)  But they are at the very heart of the organisation in the Chief Executive's "four-star" office - so that may help explain where the cash is going.

If in doubt you can always contact their own publicity team  - their webpage is reproduced here:

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Media Enquiries

Media Enquires are dealt with by Somerset County Council’s Press Office, which is at the heart of the Council, in the Chief Executive's Office.

Contacts:

• Jan Hookings (Media Enquires)
  Telephone: 01823 355020 / Email: [email protected]
  
  
• Robert Gunning (PR & Media Relations Manager)
  Telephone: 01823 355018 / Email: [email protected]

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  Your Somerset

Your Somerset is the Council's quarterly newspaper which offers residents a lively mix of corporate and community news. It is published at a cost of 11p per copy, from sustainable forests, and is the Council's primary publication.

The online version of Somerset County Council's Your Somerset newspaper may be viewed or downloaded from this website in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. Please click here to view this section of the site.

Contact:

Deborah Porter – Senior PR and Media Relations Officer
01823 355552
[email protected]

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Press Releases

The Latest News section of our website contains all the latest press releases issued by Somerset County Council's Press Office. PROs work closely with senior officers and councillors to ensure a regular flow of information about the Council's work.

Contacts:

Robert Gunning - PR and Media Relations Manager
01823 355018
[email protected]

Claire Cullen - PR and Media Relations Officer
01823 355552
[email protected]

Mark Ford - PR and Media Relations Officer
01823 355552

Robert Booth - PR and Media Relations Officer
01823 355552
[email protected]

Deborah Porter – Senior PR and Media Relations Officer
01823 355552
[email protected]

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Media Monitoring

Somerset County Council's Press Office keeps a record of media coverage given to events and issues involving the Council both at a local and national level. This helps the Council gauge whether press coverage is fair and balanced. It also helps us to market our press campaigns more effectively and assess how the Council is portrayed in the media.

Contact:

Alex Bacon - Communications and Marketing Assistant
01823 355585
[email protected]

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One more e-mail to add from me. You can always bypass the press team and go right to the top (or as near the top as he can reach)

Alan Jones, the Chief Executive is gagging to hear from you : [email protected]

 

(We are not responsible for the content of external web sites)

http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/ - Read the TaxPayers Alliance report in full