The London Borough of Kingston will continue to rely on lone press
officer Chris Field to carry out all PR and communications after the
hung council failed to find budget to upgrade the communications team
for a second successive year. The cash-strapped council abolished the
senior communications post at the borough to save money after former
head of communications Deirdre Colledge left to take up the top PR job
at Camden Council in April 1999. The move contrasts with news that
Hackney is considering upgrading its top communications post in
recognition of the vital role it plays in modern local government after
recently losing its head of communications Marina Pirotta to Brent.
