'Talking Point: time to halt the junk mail menace

'Talking Point' by Councillor Ian Sharer, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Hackney Council

"One of the dilemmas facing any councillor or active political worker nowadays is the proliferation of 'No junk mail' signs. That all-important election leaflet, is it really junk mail? Do we risk the wrath of an offended householder by slipping it in the letter-box and tip-toeing swiftly away? Experience shows it's all in the eyes of the beholder. For some the leaflet may be relevant, even interesting information. For others it is no better, if that, than the routine home-delivery pizza handout. So the dilemma remains.

And then what about the impressively burnished plaques, again becoming ever more common, enjoining 'No junk mail or free newspapers'. The piles of discarded copies of 'Hackney Today' littering doorsteps and entrance foyers show that the purveyors of that unloved propaganda sheet have the same problem.

Actually it warms the heart to see so many of these stern warning notices popping up on every letter-box. Whether from well-founded environmental concern or frustration at the unceasing intrusion of unsolicited waste paper, there is a growing resentment at this intrusion.

So why then is nothing being done? Here we are facing a global crisis of unimaginable proportions, obvious to all except Hackney's small band of sun-spot theologians, yet one of the most blatant everyday manifestations of environmental thoughtlessness, this 'tsunami' of junk mail, appears beyond human wit to tackle.

There is absolutely no reason that I can see why this should be. I'm sure the usual "rent-a-soundbite" official can be wheeled out to assert with great confidence and pomposity that it's all being considered. Of that I have absolutely no doubt. The Greater London Assembly are considering it. The local authority associations are considering it. The Government are, of course, considering it. The Welsh Assembly is actively considering it. Maybe even Hackney Council are considering it although whether actively or not they give no indication. Yet the problem remains.

I would agree there are some knotty issues in contemplating an outright ban. How, for example, is 'junk mail' to be defined? Should it cover what many would regard as the perfectly innocuous leaflet advertising the local school summer fair or a tenants' association meeting? Would a ban on this form of advertising harm the prospects of small businesses that we would otherwise want to promote? Should a ban be entirely voluntary on the part of each householder but legally enforceable? Do we want still more restrictions on freedom of information which the present government introduces at every opportunity? On the other hand, how far does the whole business of door-to-door junk mail deliveries jeopardise household security and reflect labour exploitation in the black economy? To my mind these questions are tailor-made for a citizens' referendum.

I know some will say, "Why make such a big deal over such a small matter?" I don't believe that for many exasperated residents it is a small matter. In any case events like the G20 summit in London and last week's fraudulently cynical Budget are making us realise that we cannot rely on the "political class" for honest action on environmental degradation and climate change. Citizens' action starts small and starts from the grass roots. Let's welcome it."