Why it matters: The formal complaint alleges the county council's campaign contains "incorrect statements and unfounded promises" and is "neither honest nor truthful", potentially undermining the integrity of the local government reorganisation process in Suffolk.
The details: Suffolk's district and borough authorities have formally lodged a complaint with the monitoring officer at the county council over claims it breached publicity rules.
Suffolk County Council previously denied the breach.
According to the district and borough councils, following the original complaint, the Government issued a reminder that publicity should be even-handed and objective, and public money should not be spent on "one-sided propaganda".
What they're saying: A statement from the councils said: "This reorganisation of local government and the vital services that are delivered for our communities is too important to play party politics with.
"Residents expect councils to conduct themselves in a mature way, meet the national standards for publicity and advertising, and to lay out the arguments fairly so they can make informed choices."
The lobbying allegations: They argue the alleged breach happened when the county council paid Westco, a communications agency, just over £23,000 to carry out its One Suffolk campaign.
The company's brief included a three-day allowance for special outreach to key contacts in Whitehall, which they argue constituted lobbying — not allowed under the Government's recommended codes of practice for council publicity.
The other side: A Suffolk County Council spokesperson confirmed it received a complaint to the monitoring officer, which would be looked into.
Addressing the original complaint in November, Cllr Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council's lead for council reform, said the code was fully taken into consideration throughout the planning and delivery of work as required.
"The outcome of local government reorganisation will have a lasting impact on Suffolk and its residents, and we have a duty to raise awareness of the impact of these changes," he added.
For context: The statutory codes of recommended practice on local authority publicity are statutory requirements and must be taken into account by councils.
The bottom line: The fresh complaint raises serious questions about the use of public funds during the local government reorganisation process, with the district and borough councils arguing that Suffolk County Council's approach risks bringing the validity of the process into question within Suffolk.
