The publication of the record expense claims made by York councillors in the past financial year will leave mixed feelings for many. Council workers will be left wishing that their annual pay rises always matched those of their "bosses".

Council tax payers will be left hoping that the forthcoming electoral boundary changes and the consequent reduction in councillors will also see a corresponding reduction in expenses claimed.

What can we make of the published figures which show such a wide variation in the amounts claimed by councillors? Can we take it that the councillors with the lowest claims are the best value or that they do very little and that the councillors with the highest claims do the most work and are therefore the best value?

As with most statistics, analysis is in the eye of the beholder and therefore open to much interpretation. However, with the post election implementation of big pay rises for New Labour ministers the electorate will be only too aware that politicians, whether national or local, do not come cheap.

Richard Lamb

Greystoke Road, Rawcliffe, York.

Updated: 10:41 Monday, June 18, 2001