Libdemologists: How Do They Print Quite So Much?
Ellee Seymour, aside from running loads and loads of tech product placement in recent posts has commented on yet another Lib Dem leaflet snowstorm.
Apparently there were 17 distinct leaflets delivered through one sample letterbox during Nigel Ayre's campaign period. He's this one >>>>
Let's keep it simple. Say all were A4 double sided, though that will be an underestimate, times say 6000 doors equals 204,000 sides of print. If we allow 1.5 pence per side on a two-colour Risograph that is £3.060 just for the printing.
It may be possible to produce more cheaply. However most Lib Dem leaflets make strong environmental claims about the paper and inks used and this greenery can only be had at a slight premium from rock bottom prices.
In any case it is very hard indeed to come up with a feasible multiplication that doesn't have them overspending massively.
If any of the leaflets were A3 or folded A2 newspaper or four colour or on card or in anyway more costly than the double sided 2-colour A4 budgeted then the scale of the overspend beggars' belief.
My information is that the Lib Dem council in York has been demic. Unable to face decisions. Highly inexperienced as group numbers inflated rapidly in 2003. That may be a tad biased as they gave Labour a post-war kicking in an authority that only does all outs. But they were chopped down to minority administration this year.
In a Tory ward it is understandable that they should win in a by-election. Even without taking the Mick of the spending limits and any pretence of green credentials.
Cllr Nigel Ayre's political interests "cover the environment, youth issues and wider political engagement". Here we have the first and third of these clashing.
Perhaps someone from York Lib Dems could send their budget and an explanation of how they stuck to it with such a snowstorm of leaflets? It should be a requirement to submit print with expenses returns.
UPDATE: The population figures in comments suggest the ward in question is just 30% of the national standard although even the basic 2-colour Riso leaflets for that come out spending the whole budget. Nothing for 'phones. post, envelopes, fuel, posters, committee rooms.