POLLS show most people believe spending cuts have to be made in the public sector if Britain’s economy is to be pulled back into the black after the havoc wreaked by world recession and the antics of our big banks.

They also think there is plenty of scope to trim jobs particularly in the civil service and government departments.

But the scale of the coalition government’s reductions in finance for local government may well make some of them think again.

The vast majority of the money that goes to an authority like Lancashire County Council is spent on wages for people who provide services.

Staff numbers in some areas can certainly be slimmed down without too much pain and they should be.

But the forecast of more than 6,000 job losses makes grim reading indeed.

The government hopes many of the lost jobs will be balanced by jobs which will be created as businesses grow and prosper in a newly rejuvenated economy.

Hopefully that judgement will be proved correct because if it isn’t, regardless of benefit cuts, those in work will inevitably have to pay out to keep the extra unemployed fed and housed and at the same time enjoy fewer council services than we have today.