Liverpool’s World Expo launch hit by purdah

Public sector backers of Liverpool's presence at Shanghai for the World Expo 2010 will be reduced to silent spectators because the event launches one week before the General Election.

The North West Development Agency and Liverpool City Council face the embarrassing prospect of not being able to make any comment in support of the event when it opens on 1 May, five days before the election back in the UK.

Purdah is traditionally obeyed most closely by councils but the political nature of public spending cuts and the role of quangos directly funded by Government in this election has led to more disciplined adoption of the media blackout to maintain impartiality.

However, Liverpool Vision, a private limited company but effectively part of the council and also partially funded by the NWDA, has decided not to follow purdah as strictly as the other two organisations and will be leading the launch activity.

The NWDA is the main supporter of Liverpool's presence at the World Expo in Shanghai with £1m worth of sponsorship. The World Expo runs between 1 May and 31 October.

The NWDA and Liverpool Vision said it has a press trip to Shanghai planned for the week after the general election. The NWDA added that it is satisfied with the level of publicity that has already been gained.

Liverpool Vision also said that every single city involved in the World Expo will have a representative at the Chinese launch, including Liverpool, on 1 May, but details of who is representing Liverpool could not be disclosed as it is still to be decided.

Liverpool's presence at the Expo is being supported by companies within the private sector including Peel Holdings, Enterprise, Arup, Brabners Chaffe Street, DLA Piper, and EA Technology.