"Take My Ad Or I’ll Scream & Scream Until I’m Sick..!!"

A council has accused a bus company of censoring its attempts to encourage people to vote in Greater Manchester's congestion charge referendum.

‘Censoring’…? You mean, the bus company, a private company, declined to run your ad? As they are perfectly entitled to do?

Get a new dictionary, Councillor Dave:

Stockport Council, which opposes the charge, wanted to place its adverts on Stagecoach buses in the run up to the ballot - but the firm refused.

Council leader Dave Goddard said the company was censoring a legitimate information campaign.

Listen, you jumped up little council functionary – the bus company is independent, and therefore has no moral or legal obligation to run propaganda for the council. If they don’t wish to carry your advert, they don’t have to.

That isn’t censorship – that’s free choice…

Councillor Dave Goddard, said: "They are censoring an entirely legitimate and proper campaign to tell people in Stockport about the congestion charge, the impact of transport improvements on Stockport and to encourage people to vote in the approaching referendum.

"Stockport people deserve accuracy and clarity, and Stagecoach should be willing to be part of that.

"Their behaviour is disgraceful and has no place in a modern democracy."

Now, I’m not in favour of congestion charges, but in this instance, Davey boy, it’s your behaviour that is disgraceful and has no place in a modern democracy.

The bus company disagrees with your viewpoint, agrees with the proposed congestion charge and as a free company, can choose not to carry these adverts – they are not an arm of the state and that’s their right.

Although I suspect if you, and people who think like you, got their way, that’d come to an end. Your petulant comments to the media prove just how unsuitable for public office you really are…

Mark Threapleton, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester, said the company was within its rights to reject the advertising.

Yup, totally.

He said: "We believe that the TIF package has the potential to bring a host of improvements to public transport and the environment in Greater Manchester including more peak time buses, more reliable bus services and cleaner air quality for everyone in the area.

"We don't always accept all adverts we are requested to display and have universal policies on certain types of advertising including those which are not consistent with our beliefs on the future of public transport.

"We took the decision to carry our own adverts on our own vehicles and are therefore not accepting any other related adverts from third parties."

After all, it’s not like Stockport Council don’t have a website from which to run their ads, is it….?