‘Stand will deliver’ ... at a cost of £10k

Tameside Council spent around £10,000 of taxpayers’ money to hire stands at the Labour Party’s national conference. The stands were designed to "raise the profile" of Tameside in the eyes of government policymakers. A spokesman for Tameside Council said: "We routinely attend the conference of the government of the day. "Attendance at the Labour Party Conference provides Tameside with an excellent networking opportunity and enables us to share best practice with colleagues and showcase our work to senior politicians. "It is also a useful lobbying vehicle, giving us access to both ministers and local government colleagues. "In the past we have used the conference to showcase our Beacon work, for which we receive funding, and to promote the work of Greater Manchester Pension Fund. "Tameside won first prize for the best stand at this year’s Labour Party Conference, promoting energy efficiency and recycling initiatives. "We welcomed over 200 delegates onto the stand and were able to exchange information and ideas that will help shape future initiatives back in the borough." Tameside was also in the spotlight this week after the council website was used to extol the virtues of the new EU Treaty. Conservatives insist it is a breach of the code of practice and a "blatant misappropriation" of funds. But the council insists it was a mistake on the part of a junior officer and that it was taken off the website once it had been pointed out. The question and answer style feature was supplied to Tameside Council by the North West of England Brussels Office. Councillor John Bell, Conservative leader, said: "I am outraged at this blatant misappropriation of public funds by Tameside’s Labour-controlled council. "The treaty has yet to be approved in the UK and this webpage serves as barefaced propaganda for the pro-treaty lobby at expense to the council taxpayer. Council leader Roy Oldham said: "The first thing to say about this situation is that it was a genuine mistake made by a junior officer in good faith. "It was nothing more than that and certainly not something draped in the political intrigue others would have us believe."