I went to the recent County Hall meeting to hear the Cabinet consider what it would recommend to the full council about the cuts.

It was very sad to hear of children and young people who are carers, who are threatened with the loss of support from the Young Carers Service.

Youth workers also explained what may happen if they lose their jobs.

Who is going to clear up the problems of unruly youths who have no centres to go to?

Then I began to feel very sorry for the councillors, and council leader Keith Mitchell in particular.

They know that most of the cuts will have disastrous effects on their fellow citizens and yet they feel they can do nothing but plough on.

I have not heard of any other authority taking steps to refuse to do the Government’s bidding, and most people believe there is no other way.

But there are people who know there are other ways.

Economists say that making cuts so deeply and speedily could take us into a double dip recession.

We all paid much higher direct taxes in years gone by, and it seemed fairer – certainly fairer than the increase in VAT which is a very regressive tax.

And what of the super rich? We know that some manage to pay hardly any tax. This can’t be right.

If, for one year only, the Government was to tax Britain’s richest 10 per cent of people an extra 20 per cent, that may pay off our deficit, and we could continue to have the services we need, neatly trimmed, which is always a good thing.

Mr Mitchell would probably never support this tax route, however.

He might believe that this is socialism, and is too frightening to consider.

He may also be delighted by the idea of reducing the power of government, as it may fit his ideology.

We live in a very sad uncaring world. I fear that it will take at least 10 years to build up the services we need for a fair and decent society again.

Sarah Lasenby, East Oxford