Communications officers in local government are to get the full “new media treatment” when they meet at Birmingham City Football Club next week.

Graham Jones will be explaining in a speech to the conference that unless local government uses social networking, it will fall even further down the list of “likeability”.

“Already the public dislikes government and local government attracts a great deal of derision as well”, said Graham Jones. “However, the situation is not beyond repair. With the adept use of social networking local authorities could soon see their fortunes reversed,” he added.

In the speech, to be given on Thursday 5th February 2009, Graham will explain why Local Government needs quickly to adopt social networking on its web sites.

“The public expects organisations to have social networking facilities,” said Graham, “without them, local authorities will become even more disengaged from the public than they are already.”