“I’d bet the people of Northamptonshire would gladly pay a pound or two a week extra and maintain their services, but no, the council officials kow-tow to this pernicious legislation. I’d bet the people of Northamptonshire would gladly pay a pound or two a week extra and maintain their services, but no, the council officials kow-tow to this pernicious legislation” – standard socialist approach prop up the corrupt/incompetent administration rather than sweeping the whole sorry mess away. Sunnydave is bang on and no doubt espouses the view of many. The problem is that local government everywhere is full of failed idiots who could not get a proper job and busy bodies who love to exercise some power on the rest of us. We should abolish all local government and have the towns/cities/councils run by the professionals. Take my own town, we have 60 councillors all with their snout in the trough, the have a “cabinet” and pay themselves a salary. Councils now are a magnet for the career busybody. What happened to the days when they were voluntary? No wonder the council tax is through the roof.