A council magazine paid for by taxpayers has been branded an “expensive propaganda rag” and likened to the Socialist Worker newspaper.

This year Merton Council spent £89,621.43 on publishing the quarterly magazine My Merton and delivering it to 80,000 households – making on average £24,000 a year from advertisements.

The magazine is intended to inform residents of the council activities, events and policy changes.

But the latest edition has prompted opposition Conservative councillors to call for a review of the publication, which they say is “little more than a propaganda machine”.

Conservative Councillor Suzanne Evans said: “My Merton has more in common with the Socialist Worker newspaper than it does the reality of life in this borough and it’s time this expensive propaganda rag was stopped.

"The contents page encourages residents to ‘find out how’ their council tax has been frozen, for instance, but on the relevant page there’s absolutely no mention of the fact the Conservative-led Government is paying Merton extra money specifically to stop any increase.”

Defending its publication, Councillor Stephen Alambritis, leader of the council, said: “Labour has reduced spending on My Merton by 30 per cent compared to when the Conservative’s were in power.

“Making this and other efficiencies has helped us to freeze council tax for three years running and during this time, not a single Conservative councillor has voted for the council tax freeze.

“Labour in Merton knows that our residents want an affordable council which keeps them informed in a cost effective way.”

Following the annual residents survey My Merton was listed as residents’ third most favoured method of getting information with the Wimbledon Guardian listed first.

A spokesman for Merton Council said: “We are continually looking at ways in which we can increase the efficiency of production and reduce costs. Each copy goes through Merton’s legal services department before it is published to ensure it is balanced and meets the Government’s publicity code.”

Recorded cost of My Merton

• 2008-09 (Conservative run administration):  £132,253
• 2009-10 (Conservative administration):  £127,560.60
• 2010-11 (Labour administration): £89,676.15
• 2011-12 (Labour administration): £107,474.36
• 2012-13 (Labour administration): £89,621.43