AS to whether the Labour controlled Dudley Council should have spent £1.3M on consultancy fees is a matter of conjecture.

Without knowing what the results of the consultation were, one can only conclude that such a large sum would not be spent, without knowing the benefits.

Tory and UKIP opposition was predictable and contradictory.

UKIP Councillor Brothwood and the Conservatives took the initial position of urging the end of using consultants, yet ended up supporting their use.

With UKIP advocating privatisation of the NHS and the Conservatives already selling parts of it off, it can be of little surprise that both parties should eventually support party privatisation But why should the Council have to consider increasing council tax, use consultants, reduce services for those in need, issue redundancy notices or be blamed for events beyond their control? Considering reductions in funding of over £75M since the Tories came into power in 2010 and with further reductions of £26M planned for the period 2019/20, the answer seems obvious.

The council has the unenviable position of identifying where saving can be made and then cutting its coat according to the cloth.

Edward Davies Stourbridge