SO it's farewell then Paul Doherty, Swindon Council chief executive. It grieves us to say it, but you simply had to go.

As the authority's most senior officer, Mr Doherty was one of those who bears ultimate responsibility for the disgraceful state of affairs in our education and social services departments, both which have been roundly condemned by Government inspectors.

On paper, Mr Doherty resigned. But when they come to issue the 'official' version of his departure, let's not have any of that 'gone to pursue other interests' claptrap coupled with the mealy-mouthed 'thanks for excellent service' that Premiership soccer chairmen are so good at.

Make no mistake, Mr Doherty jumped ship before he was made to walk the plank by council leader Sue Bates. It happened because an authority, which once proclaimed that it had set the town on course for a bright new future, has sailed straight onto the rocks instead.

And although his departure was the right move there is no point pinning all the blame on the shoulders of one person.

The 49-year-old is a decent, sensitive and scrupulously honest man who did his level best in difficult circumstances. The fact is that it just wasn't good enough and the result is a major threat to the education of our children and the care of our sick, our needy and our vulnerable.

But if Mr Doherty is culpable, so too are the politicians to whom he has answered over the years. It cannot have helped the chief executive or the borough that there has been no overall control on the council for two years and that during that time we have veered from an informal and ineffective three-party coalition, to minority leadership by Labour, then Tory and now Labour again.

While the deckchairs have been constantly re-arranged on this potential Titanic of local government, thousands of committed and skilled staff have struggled on, lacking purpose, direction and leadership from above.

The result is a shambles and the situation is likely to be made worse when the Audit Commission publishes the results of yet another inspection of the way in which council services are run.

So, while the borough's most senior paid official goes overboard, what of the elected representatives he has reported to, including the leader he had the closest working relationship with, Labour's Sue Bates? She is not one to duck out of any issue, but as the current council leader, Ms Bates has some serious explaining to do.

She's not alone though. While Ms Bates tends to lead with her chin when a crisis erupts, there are others in all three parties who will no doubt pull their usual trick of melting into the shadows, only to emerge unsullied when the dust has settled.

Today, just for a change, we'd like them to cut the political hot air and start talking, really talking, to the people of this town. They can start by telling us:

1) If there are any more shocks in store;

2) How they are going to restore the credibility of our services and the morale of their own employees; and

3) Whether or not they are prepared to share the responsibility for a situation that has turned Swindon into a laughing stock in local government circles.

If the answer to the latter is Yes, then we trust they will do the decent thing and follow our late and sadly unlamented chief executive over the side.