IT IS only right that councillors take a long hard look at their own roles and responsibilities at a time when hundreds of local authority jobs are on the line and vital services threatened.

Cutting the number of councillors has been backed by South Oxfordshire District Council and a similar plan has been floated at County Hall.

Margaret Davies, South Oxfordshire’s only Labour representative, has called for a whole tier of local government to be scrapped and the creation of a single unitary authority for the county.

All these ideas are valid and must be explored to establish how much they could save. But they could take years to implement.

In the meantime, each of our elected members must step up to the plate and prove they are worth every penny they claim in allowances and every vote that put them in a position of responsibility in the first place.

Grinning councillors take the credit in times of plenty, when new projects are announced and ribbons are being cut.

Now, rightly or wrongly, council budgets are being slashed. Innovation, an understanding of community needs, and determination will all be required if vital services, jobs and the local economy are to survive the economic crisis.

Sharing services or management posts between councils – and fewer councillor numbers – must be pursued. Our elected members need to show they work hard to solve the problems we face and are not simply a burdensome part of the issue.