Recent news in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England has stated that a new musical anthem has been produced for Stoke-on-Trent city council. The aim of this anthem is to inspire the workers of the council to improve their morale and make for a more efficient worker, however sources coming out of the Stoke-on-Trent city council suggest that is the council themselves need to be efficient with taxpayers money, as it has been reported that somewhere in the region of £70,000 of taxpayers money has been spent on creating this money.

The money used by the council is the equivalent of 4 years worth of the average Stoke-on-Trent workers salary and it remains to be seen whether there will be a potential backlash in light of this.

Sources at the North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone financial department have "sounded" out news of the £70,000 cost of the anthem and have also been quoted as saying that "the anthem is a standing joke within the employees at council offices".

The theme tune, called Moving Forwards Together, will be played at conferences, meetings, on the radio and even when telephone callers to the council are put on hold.

Written and produced by Chris Peace, a senior producer at Signal Radio, the tune is part of a wider strategy to reinvent the city's image,

Mark Meredith Elected mayor of Stoke-on-Trent was also quoted in the local paper as saying "I love it. I think it is really uplifting and it brings a lump to my throat". Stoke-on-Trent's paper The Evening Sentinel have been very quick to praise the anthem however they may wish to get further answers from the council as to whether the reported figure of cost is accurate and if so how this cost has been accounted.

The anthem is part of Stoke-on-Trent's wider marketing strategy for the city however if evidence like this is proved to be true it may have just had the opposite effect that the council had wished for.