There are 7 local authorities facing cuts of 2% or more. I list them below with the number of Labour councillors in brackets:

• Anglesey (3 out of 30)
• Ceredigion (1 out of 42)
• Conwy (10 out of 59)
• Monmouthshire (12 out of 44)
• Pembrokeshire (8 out of 60)
• Powys (6 out of 73)
• Vale of Glamorgan (21 out of 47)

There are also 7 local authorities in the much more fortunate position of having to deal with cuts of less than 1%:

• Caerphilly (50 out of 73)
• Cardiff (46 out of 75)
• Merthyr Tydfil (25 out of 33)
• Neath Port Talbot (50 out of 64)
• Newport (37 out of 50)
• Rhondda Cynon Taf (60 out if 75)
• Swansea (49 out of 72)

Call me a old cynic, but the pattern here is so striking that I am struggling to suppress words like ‘disgraceful’ and ‘corrupt’.

I am sure there must be a perfectly rational explanation. I’ll let you all know if I ever find out what it is!