Turns out the new council has decided that all business cards for staff and councillors must have larger writing and thicker card and be printed on both sides – appears they have to meet recommendations on the size of text. Clearly this also means yet more cost having to print on both sides – surely someone could have come up with an alternative.

Any way, it seems that council workers are only being offered 0.5% pay rises – whilst MPs get 2.33% – another injustice. Durham County Council budgeted for pay rises of more than 2%, so along with their hugh unallocated reserves, if this pay rise goes through at 0.5% they’ll have piles of our money – they should give a discount on the council tax if this happens – just like they promised last year before landing residents with 3.94% rise.