THE minister for local government has snubbed a meeting with town hall chief Phil Davies to discuss Wirral's controversial newspaper. 

During a full council summit at Wallasey town hall on Monday Cllr Davies repeated his case for the publication - to be called "Wirral Today" - expected to be launched this month.

And he disclosed local government minister Marcus Jones was invited to meet with Labour group councillors - but has declined.

Wirral Conservatives believe the local authority is locked on collision course with Governement over its publishing activities.

A requirement of "publicity code" rules regulating council-run newspapers stipulates they must not be published more than quarterly and must not look like commercial newspapers.

Only last week the Department for Communities and Local Government told the Globe: "Spending on council newspapers undermines the independent free press.

“We have been clear we expect all councils to comply with the local government publicity rules.

“If they do not we will consider what further action to take.”

Ultimately, a council could be required by court order to comply.

Councillor Davies told the meeting: “I still firmly believe there is an information deficit in this borough.

“I don’t believe it will compete with local newspapers and result in job losses. I completely reject that.

“I believe there is a strong business case for us doing this. There’s a very strong moral case.

“The Ipsos-Mori poll was very clear - 58% of residents did not feel the council kept them well-informed and parts of Wirral don’t feel they are informed at all.

“I’m only sorry the minister has not agreed to meet with us.”

Oxton Liberal Democrat councillor Stuart Kelly said: “To be accurate the Mori poll showed showed 64% of women and 71% of young people felt ill-informed about this council.

“Young people are far more likely to get their information from the internet or twitter.

“I really can't see many young people waiting by the letter box for their council newspaper each month.”

Conservative group leader Cllr Jeff Green said later: “The minister has pointed the council to the publicity code guidance and quite clearly is not prepared to discuss the matter.

"If I was Cllr Davies and his advisers I'd see a message in that - they are expected to abide by the law.

"Council-run papers been tried here before - Wirral Now in 2000 and Wirral World in the 1970s and they didn't work. Why is it the council never learns lessons from the past?

“Taxpayers do not want to see their money wasted on this expensive vanity project."

The newspaper will cost around £240,000 per year to produce. The council says funding will be found from "existing resources."