PRESSURE on local authorities is growing on all sides.

Central government is giving them less cash to work with yet they are still expected to fulfil their obligations to the taxpayer.

In News Shopper territory, Lewisham and Bromley have already announced some of the difficult measures they are going to have to take.

They’re taking the sensible approach – approaching the problem early and with clear, if painful, targets in mind.

As for Greenwich - well, who knows? They wouldn’t tell us anyway. Maybe they will print the details of the cutbacks in the council newspaper, Greenwich Time.

Unlikely, since they’re not terribly fond of printing bad news in that particular tome.

Central government has announced it will place restrictions on ‘town hall Pravdas’ like Greenwich Time – ones that print things like TV listings and film reviews - because they masquerade as independent media voices when, of course, they are not.

But until that happens, autumn at the earliest, Greenwich’s taxpayers continue to pay thousands and thousands of pounds every year toward the production and distribution of what amounts to a weekly advert for the local Labour Party.

What do you think? Should it be banned? Vote in our exclusive online poll now.