Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

The only hope for the doomed is that there is no hope ...

The move to one council has left Wiltshire in a weakened position to face the funding reductions being announced by the government, and the chief executive has announced a programme of redundancies, cuts and increases in charges to attempt to reduce the deficit.

The council will also attempt to move costs to other organisations including the voluntary sector.

Council chief executive Andrew Kerr said: "Our role as a local council will change - we will provide fewer services and take on a more enabling role helping local communities to do more for themselves and be a lot less reliant on public services. This will mean we will become smaller and we will employ less people over the next few years."

So, WC will supply less services, have a smaller budget and employ fewer people. Why then doesn't the Conservative administration at WC suggest to Mr. Kerr that he might like to consider a salary 'adjustment' (i.e. reduction) to reflect the smaller authority he will be running?