Conservatives call on Labour to halt all but essential marketing
Ahead of Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s expected announcement that the forthcoming election will take place on 6 May, the Conservatives have called on Labour to stop all but essential advertising.
Advertising spend from the Government rose to the record level of £35m last month, £5m ahead of the previous month, which has led the Conservatives to accuse Labour of abusing the system in order to promote itself with free publicity.
The party has highlighted a £212,000 press campaign placed on the front of daily freesheet, The Metro for Backing Young Britain as an example.
Shadow cabinet office minister Frances Maude has written to Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell demanding that the system should not be abused for party political means with last minute advertising spend, using public money.
Maude said: “It beggars belief that the state is now the biggest advertiser in the UK. No wonder Alistair Darling wants to delay cutting backing on government waste for a year. He needs to use tax payers money to keep him and Gordon Brown in Downing Street.”
Last month, it was reported that the COI marketing budget had over taken that of Proctor and Gamble, which had long held the largest UK marketing budget.