There is something depressingly inevitable about today's warning of another big hike in council tax, at least six per cent and maybe more.

After all, it's been racing ahead of inflation for years and there is no sign that will change.

But there won't be riots on the streets of Oxford over it. We British generally have a good old moan and then cough up dutifully.

Rioting is not the answer, of course, but it's a shame that we are so meek and compliant, unlike our French cousins across the water.

The Gallic masters of protest like nothing better than to take to the streets amid clouds of tear gas when they feel they are being unfairly treated by their elected representatives.

Not us though. We just take it on the chin and don't our politicians know it. As the arguments rage over who is to blame for the inevitable big hike, with local councils blaming Chancellor Gordon Brown and vice versa, shouldn't we take some responsiblity ourselves?

We have the right to protest, but we generally can't be bothered; we have the vote, but millions of us don't use it.

That means we don't let our politicians know how strongly we feel and don't hold them sufficiently accountable at the ballot box for their actions.

So they go on doing pretty much what they want -- and all at our expense.