MANY public servants have risen to the challenge of our financially straightened circumstances and are making real efforts to achieve better value for money and maintain good service delivery.

However, there are others who are hiding behind the age of austerity and blaming ‘the cuts’ for inadequate performance.

Nowhere is this phenomena more prevalent than in local government. It is particularly galling that local councils are blaming the Government for their failings, when we have seen a staggering increase in council reserves to some £16billion.

Here in Thurrock the reserves have gone up to £12.5million, more than double what is needed.

So it is a bit rich for Labour to blame the Government for the need to make tough decisions. There is money to spend if they wish to.

They certainly shouldn’t be hoarding taxpayers’ money for no purpose. If they don’t need the money, they should be giving us a council tax cut.

The reality is that the financial climate is allowing local authority leaders to shirk their responsibilities and hide behind the rhetoric of cuts as an excuse for inaction. Good local authorities should be a force for leadership in their communities.

Take the issues around our High Streets for example. I was genuinely excited when the proposal was made to purchase the State Cinema. Here was a real opportunity to stimulate Grays. But after a flurry of noise we have seen nothing. I suspect the same thing will happen with the talk around a Logistics Academy.

To be frank, the sector has done pretty well without the council sticking its oar in. Given the facilities already in place, or being planned by South Essex College and Port of Tilbury, it all looks too little too late to me.

So next time you hear a council leader blaming the Government, just tell them to stop whinging and get on with the job. If they haven’t got the imagination to show leadership, they should make way for someone else.