THE amount of money Kirklees Council has to save is frighteningly high.

The budget must be cut by more than £80m by 2014 and, up to now, these have been just figures.

Proposals are now being made as to how much needs to be lost from each council budget and, as we have already, reported, it is highly likely that vital frontline services will be badly affected despite some national politicians reckoning the savings could all be done through efficiencies alone.

People can have their say on Kirklees Council’s website about where the axe should fall, but do they have the confidence that the councillors will listen – or even read – what they are saying? Surely it is their duty to do so.

The comments on there need to be constructive in terms of effective arguments as to where the savings should be made and why.

People need to give Kirklees Council ideas that they can really think about, ideas that may work.

And those ideas also need to come from within the council too. After all, these workers must know where waste can be reduced.