Sun bias in council tax reporting
The Sun gives the misleading impression that “council tax has doubled” because of Labour’s policies - seven of the ten councils with the biggest rises are Tory.
Page two of yesterday’s Sun ran an article by Deputy Political Editor Graeme Wilson slamming the Labour government for overseeing council tax rises of more than double and up to treble in some areas.
Shadow communities secretary Caroline Spelman was only too happy to give a quote:
“The figures show for the first time just how much Gordon Brown has been snatching to feed the economic black hole his polices have created”
The only problem for The Sun and Ms Spelman is their spin hides the truth.
Accompanying the article is a table showing the ten highest rises in council tax over the last decade. These councils are:
2. Tower Hamlets – Labour
3. South Cambridgeshire – Conservative
4. East Cambridgeshire – Conservative
5. Fenland – Conservative
6. Westminster – Conservative
7. Wandsworth – Conservative
8. Brent – Conservative/Lib Dem
9. Hackney – Labour
10. Torridge – Conservative/Ind
It also further highlights that The Sun is simply becoming an attack sheet for the Conservative party and has lost all interest whatsoever in honest and impartial reporting, it now has a political agenda that is going to drive virtually every article they are going to write between now and the next election.
Left Foot Forward doesn't have the backing of big business or billionaires. We rely on the kind and generous support of ordinary people like you.
You can support hard-hitting journalism that holds the right to account, provides a forum for debate among progressives, and covers the stories the rest of the media ignore. Donate today.
Donate today
