It seems that Councillor Jarrett, the chancer of the Medway Conservatives is once again, for the enth time in 6 months, about to land them in hot water.
The ASA is the UK's independent regulator of advertising across all media, including marketing on websites. They work to ensure ads are legal, decent, honest and truthful by applying the Advertising Codes. They are non-partisan.
So what is this all about? Readers may be aware that the Tories rebranded the Council in 2010, in what was considered a grave insult to Her Majesty the Queen, and tried to confer city status to themselves.
The Council claimed it was only a small rebranding but the new 'city' logo appeared on bins and other items before it was picked up by concerned members of the community.
It seems though the last laugh is on the journalist because the ASA is about to rule against the Tories
Most people would accept defeat, engage in a mea cupla and brush of the issue.
Even odder then the underfunded pie-in-the-sky joke campaign.
It shows that the Tories have simply lost the capability to represent the interests of residents and are instead going on odd witch hunts at the expense of the public
'To the casual observer, it will probably seem like little more than a storm in a teacup.
Which is why the Tories have written over 1000 words on the matter using Council resources. Big old mug of tea...
But Medway Council now seriously believes the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) should investigate the town Welwyn Garden City, the music venue Nottingham Rock City and even its own headquarters following a bizarre ‘waste of time’ ruling by the marketing watchdog.
An absolutely ludicrous attack. Welwyn Garden City has historical precedence as a 'Garden City' based in fact. The Nottingham Rock City is a rock nightclub and is not seeking to purport to be something which it is not.
These are just some of the places the local authority has listed following an odd and somewhat obstinate adjudication by the ASA.
At the expense of tax payers money which could indeed have been used to improve your services. Why is the local authority wasting time on this 'storm in a tea cup'?
In a modern day twist on the classic novel The Tale of Two Cities the ASA has ruled that Medway Council in Kent should not use a small version of an aspirational logo they have produced for their city status bid on a tourism leaflet they produced several months ago.
The logo was bigger on the bins; though it is true the specific compliant was about the tourism promotion
The local authority says the ruling – due to be delivered on Wednesday (16 March) - lacks any degree of common sense and points out that a number of places across the country use the word city – when they are not one as well.
Given it has not been published in full yet; that is presumptive.
And Medway Council believes that, in the interest of decency and fair play, the ASA cannot make this ruling and ignore these other minor misdemeanours.
So in the spirit of decency and fair play you put out a press statement in advance of the ruling. What fibs...
To compare Medway which are a collection of towns seeking City status with a rock venue or Welwyn Garden City is basing your spurious assertion that these places are seeking to mis-sell what they are not. False argument.
A single complainant claimed that as Medway was not yet a city and only bidding to become one then using this logo was misleading on advertising literature.
A complaint that has been upheld by an impartial arbiter.
The logo, developed at no cost by the council, is being used as a way to promote Medway’s ambition to become a city in a UK wide competition to make a town a city during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
A free logo amazing! Total fiction; everything has a cost.
It is doing this as it believes becoming a city will helps draw in substantial investment and jobs for the mainly urban area of nearly 260,000 people.
Something I actually agree with
“We put a small logo for our city bid on a tourism leaflet and the Advertising Standards Authority decided to come down on us like a ton of bricks.
No, you misrepresented a place as a City when it is not. Ipso facto you get penalised.
“This leaflet took the council’s own designer less than a day to design and cost the council nothing. We didn’t realise the ASA was going to make this kind of fuss over such a storm in a teacup.
So a free designer working on the Council Payroll spent 'less than a day' to design the logo but apparently was not paid. Unbelievable.
“If they are going to do that, though, they need to look at other places across the country that use the name city in their title.
Not unless there are complaints of mis-representation. But dont let that stop you wasting tax payers time compiling your own list:
“In fact, to help them in this we have compiled a list of other places that they should now investigate.
And off we go... at the tax payers expense.
“After all, if they are going to waste our time then they should at least play fair and waste everyone else’s as well.
Well Im only paid by the tax-payer to manage the Council Finances; this is not personal, honest...
“I must admit I find it staggering. After all, our officers’ time is much better used ensuring our residents get the council services they need and want rather than dealing with bizarre rulings from wannabe quangos in London.
Yes, so we are still talking about it...
Other places that could now come under fire from the ASA following their ruling include:
Finally then... at last...
* London City Airport – which is not based in the City of London, or even a city, and is actually in the London Borough of Newham.
*Letchworth Garden City and Welwyn Garden City – These are called cities, but are actually towns in Hertfordshire and have been since 1903 and 1920 respectively. Will the ASA now seek to overturn their historic names?
* Nottingham Rock City – which while based in a city is definitely not a city in its own right and isn’t even a town - it’s a music venue showcasing live gigs. Are groups intending to play there now going to have to change their posters?
* The ASA’s headquarters – which are in a building called Mid City Place in Holborn, which are in the London Borough of Camden, and not in a city (please see notes to editors). Should the ASA have investigated this when they chose to recently rent this office space?
* Cathedral City cheese – as this is made in Davidstow, Cornwall, which is neither a city or has a cathedral.
* London City Airport DLR – this is not in the City of London or in a city.
* London’s City Hall – the seat of the Mayor of London – as this is in the London Borough of Southwark, which is not a city, and the mayor oversees Greater London, which is a geographic region with two cities in it – the City of Westminster and the City of London.
* Surrey Docks, Hackney, Vauxhall, Mudchute, Spitalfields and Kentish Town City Farms – all of which are not in a city, but in London boroughs.
* Milton Keynes – which describes itself on its website as a “cosmopolitan city” and markets “a number of city centre” branded hotels. This is a not a city, but a town and is, indeed, a town which is also bidding to win city status in 2012.
* Milton Keynes City football club – for the same reasons as above.
* The Stratford City Development in East London - next to the Olympic stadium, which is actually in the London Borough of Newham.
* The little known Ocean City Chinese takeaway in Devizes ��� as this is not in a city, but a small market town in Wiltshire, and it certainly is not near an ocean.
If you believe the above is what your Council and its staff should be doing then Vote Conservative in May
Alternatively Vote Labour and kick this inept bunch out of office
