Do as I say, not as I do

The row about budget cuts at Swindon Museum & Art Gallery is insightful to civic assets that are deemed more important than others, depending on where they are.

The quote from Councillor Heenan is even more interesting :

"The unvarnished reality is that the current Museum and Art Gallery brings in no income of note, has extremely low footfall and is subsidised by taxpayers to the tune of £200,000 per year and Labour councillors are happy to see this continue."

Substitute the asset name 'Liden Library' and the different amount of subsidy pre-Henan takeover and you have the perfect example of what is deemed important to councillors now we all live in a parished world.

The Conservative Borough council (along with Labour councillors) was more than happy to heap praise upon the Museum when councillors had the scent of lottery money in their nostrils. As that has fallen by the wayside, we're all expected to forget the very recent past and rally behind the budget cuts in an alternate reality.

With the current councillors in charge, don't forget, the council (under the influence and whims of ruling councillors) functions primarily just as an accounting exercise.

Do as I say, not as I do (apart from if it's in your own parish).