WHEN the ruling Labour group unveiled a controversial £250,000 package of perks for councillors - mobile phones, personal computers, free newspapers, support staff and so forth - the Tories on Blackburn with Darwen Council stayed silent.

Presumably, they liked the idea.

Now, they want the scheme scrapped - because the Council is looking into a financial black hole that threatens cuts in services to the public.

In short, they are saying that, when money is tight, perks for councillors should not have preference.

They are quite right. The first duty of councillors is to serve the people, not themselves.

Lots of things could be done for the public with this £250,000.

The Tories deserve praise for their sense of responsibility and their priorities.

But as they have no power to put them into practice, their high-mindedness counts for next to nought - except for one crucial point.

This stance puts the ruling Labour group firmly on the spot.

It means that they must tell us what their priorities are.

Are they mobile phones and computers for themselves and cuts in services for the council tax payers?

For the voters, this is a valuable test of the councillors' integrity - one that the Tories have already passed.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.