Birmingham City Council is criticised for spending £275,000 on public relations agencies

Feb 8 2009 by Adam Aspinall, Sunday Mercury

BIRMINGHAM city council has been slammed by critics for spending over a quarter of a million pounds on external spin doctors in the last two years.

Figures released to the Sunday Mercury under the Freedom of Information Act show the local authority has spent just over £275,000 on public relations agencies since 2007.

The cash was spent despite the council having an internal press office manned by 10 full-time staff, headed up by Canadian spin doctor Debra Davis who joined in 2006 and who is believed to earn a six-figure salary.

Last night, Khalid Mahmood, Labour MP for Perry Barr, said he was