Coalition poised to gag councils

摘要

Coalition plans to enshrine the Local Authority Publicity Code in law could give ministers the power to gag councils seeking to campaign on local issues, legal experts have advised the Local Government Association (LGA). Using the example of a council opposed to the Government's controversial HS2 rail scheme, legal firm Sharpe Pritchard claims provisions within the Local Audit and Accountability Bill represent 'a real possibility...that the Government could seek to prevent the authority from communicating its own views to residents'.