IF you happened to be passing your local town hall yesterday and heard agonised groans from within, that will have been your councillors being ‘George Osborned.’ The Chancellor warned councils to brace themselves for a 10 per cent cut in the cash they will receive from the Government in yesterday’s spending review announcement.

No doubt the public reactions of local politicians will be coloured by their political allegiances Privately, they will all be bitterly disappointed.

The most sensible contribution so far came from Oxfordshire County Council leader Ian Hudspeth, who tweeted: “How do we cut the public’s expectations?”

That is the real challenge our politicians face.

Most people accept the need for cuts because of the terrible state of the economy. But Nimbyism often follows, as people expect services they use to be protected.

Mr Hudspeth’s party lost overall control of the county council a few weeks ago and now he could preside over another round of job losses and service cuts.

For our elected representatives, this goes with the territory.

But they deserve some sympathy for the thankless task ahead, as they try to cut their ever shrinking cloth.