Doom and gloom (and PR)

I'm starting to feel like a messenger of misery.

For months, almost all we've talked about on the news are the cuts.

The doom and gloom is now building to a crescendo: on October 20th the government will make its most calamitous pronouncement yet.

The Comprehensive Spending Review will be a catalogue of cuts, as almost every area of government spending learns just how bad the future will be.

Before then, local authorities are queuing up to offer their own grim forecasts.

The latest is Gloucestershire County Council, announcing it needs to save £120m in the next four years.

But don't worry, ordinary foik will get a say. Yes, they're holding that eternal favourite of politicians in a pickle - a public consultation.

Others are following the same path: Bristol City Council has been running theirs since June. More than 400 people have taken part.

And what difference will it make? Guaging by the experience of other councils who've done this, very little.

It turns out that pretty much every service that councils run is valued by someone somewhere. After all, why else would they be doing them?

So if it yields no brilliant ideas for saving money, why hold a big consultation?

Well it must surely improve relations with the public. So, you might say it's a PR exercise.