MORE than £250,000 in taxpayers' money has been spent on political assistants at the city and county councils over the last five years.
Political assistants, who can earn up to £34,986, can be responsible for a range of tasks including managing the day-to-day operation of a party's group office, ensuring that group members are aware of national party policy, and supporting the training and development of councillors within the group.
Figures obtained by the Post through a Freedom of Information request show that the city council has spent £224,927 on political assistants for the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrats since 2009, with no expenditure in the two years previously; and the county council £29,100 on a post for the Conservative party in the financial year 2009-10, with no expenditure in any of the last five years.
No other district and borough councils in the county have spent public cash on the posts.
The expenditure has been criticised by the Taxpayers' Alliance, who said it should stop.
"There is absolutely no justification for landing council tax payers with a bill for party political advisers," Jonathan Isaby, political director of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said.
"The fact that so many councils in Nottinghamshire function perfectly well without them is clear evidence that they are unnecessary.
This spending should cease as a matter of urgency."
Resident Erika Drinkwater, 31, of Berridge Road, Forest Fields, said: "I think spending public cash like this is ridiculous. And I never see anything to show for it, like visible improvements."
Matt Ashton, politics lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, said: "Political assistants have been contentious ever since their introduction.
"The chief problem is that the job title is so elastic. It could be argued that local political parties are right to spend money on assistants if it helps them perform their traditional functions, for example by performing certain routine tasks so councillors have more time to spend on important matters like helping the parties communicate with the wider public.
"However, it could equally be argued that councillors are paid to do a job and that, in time of ever increasing austerity, political assistants are yet a further drain on public money.""
But Jayne Francis-Ward, assistant chief executive officer at the county council, said: "Under the council's current constitution political parties are able to have a political assistant.
"In 2009 the newly appointed Conservative administration requested to have a political assistant. Other political groups did not request one at that time. No political groups have had a political assistant since 2010.
"All councils provide elected members with some dedicated administrative and/or research officer support. People have elected councillors to represent them and do a job, and they need some support to do this.
"These posts are not funded by political parties."
Councillor Jason Zadrozny, leader of the nine Lib Dems on the council, said his party was using the support of administration support officer, who gets paid around £18,000 a year.
"We decided against having a political assistant because we felt it would not be right for the public to pay for political support."
Alan Rhodes, leader of the Labour 16-strong group at the county council, who use a researcher and administrator, said: "We don't think it is justifiable in times like these when cuts are being made."
The ruling Labour group on the city council declined to comment, and the Conservative group was unavailable to comment.
Tony Sutton, former leader of the Lib Dems on the city council, said he believed employing a part-time political assistant for the party was providing "good value for money for the taxpayer".
Are you affected by this story? Call Winnie on 0115 905 1963 or e-mail winnie.agbonlahor@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk
