SIR - The latest from the Government is: "Council Tax will be up and money from the Government will be down."

This is followed up with: "The shortfall can be made up from council efficiencies, so there should be no cut in services".

Just who do they think they are kidding? Every year this happens and it is always that it can be made up with efficiencies, but this can only go so far, and I envisage this point has been reached.

Why are we so short of money? We are a rich country, so we are told, and taxes must be at their highest for many decades.

It would seem to me this lack of finance is a direct result of our increased payment to Brussels, due to our ineffectual Prime Minister giving up our rebate for the "proverbial bag of beans".

This shortage will have to be made up somewhere and if income tax is not to go up, because he dare not raise it, the only alternative is to cut services and that is where we are now.

The worst thing about this is that I cannot see the position improving, so better get used to the Third World.

A G Goldsbrough, Dale Court, Fieldway, Ilkley