I READ with great interest the comments from Horace Prickett regarding the pay of portfolio holders within West Wiltshire District Council's new cabinet.

As a long-serving member of the council I have no problem with portfolio holders being paid a fair allowance just as long as they do the job. However, the question now must be asked why they haven't been doing their job.

The new leader of the council took over one week after our first council meeting, to appoint his cabinet. However, to everyone's surprise they have yet to be given jobs. It is now five weeks since the district council elections and we are still waiting for the new cabinet to role their sleeves up and get on with the job.

My experience from the last term of cabinet members was they would spend at least two or three days a week in the office working with officers so our new team have a lot to live up to.

The electors of west Wiltshire elected us to get on with the job. However, the first job of the new administration has been to dust down the sherry glasses the Liberal Democrats so carefully packed away 12 years ago. They then announce they will take sherry before all cabinet meetings. The second job was to install a private parking space outside of the main entrance for our new leader of council. It would seem this team of councillors has learnt nothing from mistakes made in the past.

Cllr Terry Chivers,

St Margaret's Court,

Bradford on Avon.