THIS is probably a good time to point out that county council finance chief Arash Fatemian is a decent, normal chap, who to our knowledge has never drowned a kitten and does not practise withcraft.

You may hear otherwise in the days ahead, because the urbane Mr Fatemian is the architect of the unprecedented £64m spending cuts being forced through by the county over the next four years.

Here is the classic irony of a Conservative authority effectively hung out to dry by its own Chancellor of the Exchequer, who has slashed its annual grant, and local government minister Eric Pickles, whose Bunteresque jolliness masks the ruthlessness of an assassin.

But while it is clear that pain is on its way for many, not everything is a fait accompli.

Unlike other regimes, this one has shown signs that it is prepared to engage in debate and – on occasions – alter course.

So if you are unhappy, please don’t just sit there and moan.

Do something about it. You never know, it may make a difference to someone’s life.