Scotland’s councils have been accused of spending funds that could have been used for staff pay and public services after paying millions of pounds to media and marketing firms.

The Ferret obtained data via freedom of information requests detailing at least £2.3 million of work outsourced to private firms between April 2017 to March 2022.

While all councils have in-house media teams, they outsourced some activities, such as public relations (PR), social media, recruitment, promotion and council staff media training.

Unison, the public services trade union, which is balloting council staff for strike action to secure a pay rise, said council staff would be “angry” at The Ferret’s findings.

“Every penny of council money should be focused on improving delivery of vital services to communities and ensuring staff get fairly paid for delivering them,” said Johanna Baxter, Unison Scotland’s head of local government.

Read more: Half of Scots councils accused of 'mismanaging' community funds

David Miller, the director of Spinwatch, an independent organisation that monitors the role of public relations and spin, said: “These significant sums spent by Scottish councils should worry all those who believe in accountable local government.

“The PR industry is endemically bereft of good faith and chronically unable to tell the truth. Councils should invest in open and honest communication with voters, not spin and deception.”

Orkney Council paid out the most money for media services – £576,000; £180,000 of which went to David Flanagan Media for PR and media management.

It also paid £175,000 for social media, web management, film and photography from Start Point Media, and £162,000 for marketing activities from Dynam. The council did not respond to a request to comment.

Edinburgh Council spent an estimated £313,785, but did not provide complete spending for 2021-22. Its biggest spend was £36-£48,000 per year to The Corner Shop for PR Scotland and £32,400 per year for 3x1 PR to promote local venues and events.

A council spokesman said: “The majority of this spend was directed at promoting our cultural and commercial venues prior to Covid, providing the specialist services needed to boost ticket sales and generate significant income for the council.”

Of the £267,761 spent by Stirling Council, £249,621 went to ING Media to provide PR and marketing support for the Scottish Cities Alliance and to attract property investors at MIPIM, an international property event.

The council said the money came from the Scottish Cities Alliance, which includes Stirling and six other cities. “These funds [were] simply administered through Stirling Council,” a spokesman added.

The council had spent just £18,050 on media consultants, it said. “This covered a range of projects, including dedicated support to develop and promote Stirling’s investment and economic potential.”

Shetland Council paid £81,600 to Aspect to provide communications support for the ORION clean energy project. It also gave £67,109 to Message Matters to support the council’s “strategic messaging”, including for the fair ferry funding campaign and the Islands Growth Deal. The council did not respond to a request to comment.

East Lothian Council’s biggest bill was £100,944 for Connect Communications to design and distribute nine editions of the council’s residents’ newspaper.

“There are no plans for further editions, with the council focusing on online platforms in line with budget commitments,” a spokesman said. He added that media promotion was key to attract visitors and boost the local economy.

Falkirk, Dundee and Glasgow councils each paid £140-145,000, while 13 others spent less than £100,000. The total amount spent on media by local authorities is likely higher as the level of detail provided differed between councils. Some provided only partial data, or none at all.

Moray Council listed six media firms it had paid in recent years, but failed to list the costs or services provided.

Highland Council said its communications team did not hire any media firms. It added individual council departments may have done so, but said it was unable to provide this information.

Clackmannanshire, East Renfrewshire, Midlothian, Perth and Kinross, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire councils did not outsource any media activity.

In 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended his government’s decision to spend £130m of taxpayer money on PR consultants after facing criticism from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. The PM said some of the money was used to counter anti-vaxxer campaigns during the Covid pandemic.

  • Are councils working? is an investigation by The Ferret, co-published with The Herald, exploring local issues, services, communities and more. Support The Ferret's journalism by becoming a member for £5 a month. Use discount code Sale10 to get two months free: theferret.scot