Time to cut the number of our ‘costly’ councillors

Neil Sedaka, singer-songwriter, Joe Bugner, former boxer William H Macy, actor,

Linda Robson, actress Adam Clayton, rock musician Annabeth Gish, actress, Stephen Maguire, snooker player, Noel Fisher, actor, COUNCIL tax is to go up by 6%, services are being cut to the bone yet our greedy councillors will be voting for yet another rise in expenses and, don’t forget, these are non taxable.

While we, the public, suffer under this not-fit-for-purpose council I have to ask why, when cuts are being made everywhere, why hasn’t the councillors cut their own numbers?

We don’t need three councillors for every ward - get rid of one in three.

Can you imagine them throwing their arms in the air and shouting, “No, no, that is ridiculous we couldn’t possibly manage with less and besides, who would go? Not me”.

Children’s Services are under the control of Leeds Council yet those who can’t run that department are still there and still getting paid. They keep re-electing themselves.

Remember this you councillors, there will be elections in May and hopefully the public will vote out those who have caused chaos in our area such as unwanted bus lanes and unwanted bus gates as well as HOW sad to read of the council’s latest planning capitulation, this time Washpit Mills, Holmfirth, (pictured above).

We often see the same pattern repeated where a controversial application is eventually passed as a result of Labour members’ support and the chairman’s casting vote.

If the council is worried about losing on appeal and having to pay a fine to central government, as a council tax payer, can I ask that next time they give it a go?

I personally think it’s money well spent, even as a protest against what we are seeing, not just in Kirklees, but up and down the country, which is the effective end of any worthwhile form of local democracy. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with JLH in so far as the public needed more information on the EU before voting in the referendum.

I voted leave because I saw first hand the extravagance of the Strasbourg Parliament.

Moreover, I always thought we would remain and that David Cameron thought the Referendum with a huge remain vote would ensure a positive legacy for a job he was never enthusiastic about in the first place.

I wanted to give Cameron a kick up the backside and negotiate a better deal for England. Not for nothing have we been called “the paymaster of Europe.”

My vote made no difference anyway and most of my family voted remain.

Theresa May perhaps relished the job at first but is clearly entrenched from the devastation of no majority.

Cameron’s gamble has left England and northern England in particular between a rock and a hard place.

Never has a PM left office as happily as Cameron and he alone is responsible for our plight.

Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales get free prescriptions, free higher education and funds from the EU.

If there is a second referendum with clear information perhaps the 22% who did not vote will do so.

Should the result be remain then perhaps the north of England can reap some of the benefits enjoyed by others.