text: Johnathan Isaby (pictured), chief executive of the Tax Payers’ Alliance, called the number of communications staff ‘blatant hypocrisy’ Taxpayer money is being used to fund an ‘army’ of spin doctors with more than 3,400 press officers employed by local councils across the UK. The number of communications employees working for local government is more than two times that working across 20 central government departments. London has at least 425 marketing staff and press officers working across its local authorities, four times more than the entire editorial staff at the Evening Standard, the Times reported. Nearly 45 councils employ 20 or more communications staff each, with Manchester City Council the worst offender for its size. It has 77 individuals working for it in PR and similar areas. Leeds city council comes second with 47 staff and Bristol and Sheffield city come joint third. They both employ 43. Glasgow city council and the Kirklees metropolitan borough council in Yorkshire each employed 40 PR officers and individuals in similar fields. The figures were unveiled in a Freedom of Information Act request by Press Gazette to 435 city, district and borough councils to which 405 replied with information about their communications staff. The figures were unveiled in a Freedom of Information Act request by Press Gazette to 435 city, district and borough councils to which 405 replied with information about their communications staff. Press Gazette made a similar request to central government over its PR staff during another investigation last year. Figures revealed that the Home Office had 275 full-time positions in marketing, press relations and similar areas. Manchester City Council (pictured) was the worst offender for its size. It had 77 individuals working for it in PR and similar areas . The Cabinet Office had 205 PR staff and the Department for Work and Pensions had 184. Johnathan Isaby, the chief executive of the Tax Payers’ Alliance was quoted as saying it was ‘blatant hypocrisy’ for councils to comment so often on the need for necessary saving while keeping on so many staff for communications. He added that the next central government needed to crack down on the ‘army of propagandists’ funded by the taxpayer. He said those footing the bill expected their money to go to front line services not spin doctors.
target: Taxpayer money used to pay for an 'army' of spin doctors in local areas .
  The number of communications staff in local government more than 3,400 .
  Total is more than double the number working across central government .
  London has 425 members of PR staff working across its local authorities .