About the last thing the residents of Swindon need now is a major rise in council tax bills.

But that's on the cards next year says new leader of the council, Coun Kevin Small.

He reckons bills could go up between 10 and 15 per cent and that's a lot when many residents are already paying £1,000 a year or more for services which are not that special.

Mr Small says this sort of increase is necessary to fund improvements to schooling within our borough, which has become something of a bad joke.

What irritates and we've told the Education Secretary to her face is that we're getting just a little tired of the government refusing to pay its way and our schools suffering.

We actually believed Mr Blair when he said education was a top priority for his government.

But looking at Swindon and our problems, it does get more difficult to believe him these days.