SO the senior officials and councillors of Swindon are at the old game of emotional blackmail.

As per usual they come out with "we must have cuts here or closures there. But if you, the Swindon residents, agree to a double figure council tax rise, that will defer the cuts till next year when the council will go through the whole process again''.

Instead of looking at ways of being more efficient and not wasting money on lame ducks eg Steam and Park and Ride, they know that the Swindon residents can be duped to pay through the nose.

If the highly paid officials got their priorities right then services would be kept with the savings and council tax rises would be in single figures.

R HURST

Wembley Street