Propaganda in Hammersmith and Fulham

10.05.00pm GMT Fri 8th Jan 2010

This week David Cameron came to town and warned us to beware of "black propaganda".

At a public meeting on 05 January in St Paul's church Mr Cameron told his audience that there has been a lot of "black propaganda" about Hammersmith and Fulham Council's plans for social housing. It is certainly true that the independent and not-so-independent local media have reported widely on the issue, including suggestions that it amounted to gerrymandering, but as with the promises (or aspirations) on married couples tax allowances, the stories may have originated from some "mis-speaking" by the party leaders.

However, residents of Hammersmith and Fulham who have been worried about "propaganda", and the extent to which the council's taxpayer funded H&F News had been pricing independent media out of the market, will be relieved to hear that Trinity Mirror has decided to make the Fulham and Hammersmith Chronicle a free paper delivered directly to people's homes.

Local residents will no longer be dependent on rumours for news that hasn't been filtered by the council's press office.

Related Links:

Localis - Principles for Social Housing Reform, by Stephen Greenhalgh and John Moss.

Evening Standard - Plot to Rid Council Estates...

The Guardian - Stephen Greenhalgh's Housing Policy Timeline.