COUNCIL leader Tony Newman has accused Gavin Barwell of using a row over posters to "censor" political debate about government funding cuts.
Mr Barwell branded council posters claiming the government had cut Croydon's funding by £100 million as publicly-funded "propaganda" designed to influence forthcoming elections.
The council took the posters down yesterday as a "precautionary measure" ahead of the Selhurst by-election.
Mr Barwell, who faces competition from his seat in May from Labour's Sarah Jones, welcomed the decision.
He said: "They're obviously covering up, saying it's just about the by-election, but a U-turn is welcome whatever excuse is given for it."
Speaking to the Advertiser today, Cllr Newman hit back.
"We have to set the tough decision we're having to take in the context of the settlement we receive from government," he said.
"It was the right message at the right time.
"The completely over-the-top attitude the MP for Croydon Central has taken on this, in my view, amounts to an attempt to censor political debate in Croydon."
A statement sent to the Advertiser by the council on Monday said the wording was decided by the communications team and approved by the head of communications.
Challenged as to what role Labour politicians had, if any, in publishing the posters, Cllr Newman told the Advertiser they were the result of his "strategic direction" but the "details" were decided by council's press office.
Advertiser (CA): Did you or any other politician have an input into the posters? Did you see the posters before they went out?
Tony Newman (TN): "No, they were signed-off by our communications team. You've seen the statement.
CA: I saw that. Did you know about the wording before it went out?
TN: "No, it was signed off by our communications team."
CA: Who came up with the idea?
TN: "We've got a fantastic communications team."
CA It was all them? There was no input from members?
TN: "No, the member input was very much at a strategic level which is to drive home the fair funding for Croydon thing, which is a wider thing, and to drive home the fact that any debate around the council tax has to be in the context of huge government cuts to funding for Croydon.
"The wording and design was down to the communications team.
"We made it very clear we wanted to put a message out about the context and we trust out communications team with the details."
CA: So you asked them to put the posters out?
TN: "I've nothing else to add to what I said."
CA: But I want to be clear that you think it's the right decision to take them down.
"In light of the Selhurst by-election and campaigning actively starting it is now the right decision to take them down."
CA: But a week ago, or a couple of days ago, it wasn't?
TN: "In my view there's still a debate but if we have a senior MP locally...what Gavin Barwell is doing is challenging senior officials of the council."
CA: He thinks a Labour councillor has had an input into either the wording or the final decision as to whether this poster should be sent out.
TN: "If you read most of what I've seen from him he seems to be attacking the officers of the council."
CA: He has also asked you directly as to which, if any, politicians had prior knowledge of this poster.
TN: "We've given the answers to that so I've got nothing else to say."
CA: You haven't given an answer.
TN: "I've given you a very clear answer indeed."
CA: Yes or no, did any member, cabinet member or yourself, have knowledge of that poster and roughly what the wording would be before it went out?
TN: "You're playing with words. We gave the strategic direction that we wanted a very clear message..."
CA: What does 'strategic direction' mean?
TN: "It means we think the public of Croydon have a right to know that the council's budget has been cut by 40 per cent by the current government."
CA: So you gave the strategic direction to publish these posters?
TN: "I've got nothing else to add. You're putting words in my mouth."
CA: It's quite important...
TN: "It's not quite important.
"I've said all I have to say on it.
"You're linking the words strategic and these posters. We gave the strategic direction that there should be publicity that the budget was being set in the context [of a cut in government funding]."
CA: So did you know that publicity would form these posters at this time?
TN: "Those specific posters? No, but a publicity campaign looking very much like what's on those posters, maybe."
