Words Dept.: entry

The proposed Manchester congestion charge and the £3bn Transport Innovation Fund that the city is bidding for has created a turf war between two rival business lobbying groups in which few people - other than the odd business hack - seem to be interested.

For those who may have missed it, one group, called United City (geddit?), is in favour of the TIF funding package and subsequent c-charge. The other, calling itself Greater Manchester Momentum Group, is against. You knew this though, didn’t you?

I use the phrase turf war but in fact the two sides’ chosen method of attack is a strategy known Press Release Saturation. Several times a week for the last couple of months I’ve been getting “statements” from those involved, each reacting to what the other side has said at public meetings or in the press.

No sooner has one side voiced an opinion then the other has bombarded the inboxes of the region’s journalists with the opposing view. Sometimes, as happened yesteday, I get a “response” from United City’s PR company about some utterance by GMMG, having not actually been aware of GMMG’s position in the first place.

Can anybody win this war of attrition? We may never know. What I will say, however, is that United City clearly has a nicer logo.