I READ with interest the article (Making no allowance, May 6) regarding the changes to the allowances by reduction, of the shadow cabinet members on Oxfordshire County Council.

The whole exercise appears to thumb its nose at democracy.

About six or seven years ago, the Oxford Mail published a list showing what allowances were awarded to both city and county councillors and also expenses that were claimed by individual members.

Some councillors didn’t use much of their daily allowance, if any at all, let alone claim expenses.

If memory serves me right, there were three or four councillors who sat on both the city and county councils and the combined expenses claimed were, in a couple of cases, somewhat excessive of what a retired couple had to live on with their pension.

It would be interesting to see such a similar publication, or is such information not fit for public consumption?

I understood that everything was supposed to be transparent these days.

Speaking of money, this present Government has certainly expanded the gap between those that have and the rest that don’t.

All the cutbacks in welfare, etc, have produced what will be a legacy of this Government – food banks, and more and more people having to rely on them.

Fortunately, I don’t have to but I did have to retrieve a crust from the bird table so I could have something for my tea the other day.

MICHAEL CLARKE, Lewell Avenue, Old Marston