Yes, lets all now get proper jobs as estate agents, bankers, ad men and PR women (or even super-productive 'personalities' like Ross!), who all produce value like plastic back scratchers and sell them to one another, only for scant reward and meagre perks like company cars, expense accounts, bonuses

Francis, Croydon,

Public sector redundancies: this is the first bit of good news since the recession started. It will be good to get some of these people off our backs.

Jim, london,

You'd expect councils to jump on the bandwagon and say they are not over-staffed; the ones that remain are scared of having to do a day's work! I think it is great news. Council staff should be cut by 25 per cent. For those who work with local government, we all know there is plenty of slack.

Fred, Milton Keynes, UK

I have spent most of my life working in the public sector and only the last five working in the private sector. Whilst some public sectors work hard, they have it easy compared to many in the private sector - high levels of paid sick leave, generous paid holidays and good pensions.

Mick, Middlesbrough, England

For all those people who are happy about this news, perhaps you should stop and think... job cuts means poor public services, which you will continue to demand and accept no excuses for the reduced quality... and the redundancies will put thousands on benefits, even more of a drain on the taxpayer!

Kelly, Derby,

It seems only fair that those in the government sector take a share of the pain

Paul, Bristol,

Many will be delighted that councils will shed staff. It is a pity that the same doesn't apply to MPs as well. All of these people effectively produce no wealth for the Nation. All, are employed at great expense by the taxpayers who are having to pay more and more for all the increasing bureaucracy.

B.Warren, Lymington, UK

What a mess! If Labour are going to print money to keep jobs, why are they not giving it to our councils? Shame on Gordon Brown.

oliver, colchester,

Speaking as a Borough Council worker, and having been one for 16 years, I thought I should assure your readers that contrary to popular belief, Borough Councils are NOT overstaffed! We rarely have enough staff to provide full cover for services as it is, but then you'll all find this out soon...!

Michelle, Crewe, England

As an architect I am exposed daily to the effects of a Governement hellbent on the creation of rules and legislation which require endless paperwork , specialist consultants and unproductive time , society cannot afford to be controlled like this anymore. Simplify our lives and save .!

James Pask, Fife, Scotland

I hope they think to remove all the job adverts from their websites and re-employ/re-train people in those roles where possible!!

Janice Fitzpatrick, Sheffield, England

...but still building an arena and still recruiting chief execs...madness
LA's are always being belittled but the grass roots workers are far worse off than ever, including comparators in the private sector, and as cuts bite and the layers of managers increase, the front line staff have to do more

nina, leeds,

What's better: the demoralization and social breakdown caused by unemployment, or providing social jobs which help bind society together and keep the community running? There are no more private sector jobs to go to, so the result will be more crime, social collapse and political instability.

C Smith, Norwich, UK

Whilst some public services are necessary, the UK cannot afford its public sector and their onerus pension schemes. Time to become lean and prioritise spending o basic services.

Let the State shrink and the individul will grow

Stephen Marchant, Newton Abbot, UK

Let's hope these cuts are focused on senior management (and their advisors/consultants) and non-essential "jobsworths", rather than cutting back the productive front-line staff.

Chris K, Cheltenham, UK

Can we see the list of councils making cuts? It would be interesting to compare to the councils that lost money in Icelandic banking collapse.

Ian, Edinburgh, Scotland

It is easy to see those that have not worked in local government, with 'non-jobs', 'perks' etc. Consultants are in the private sector, which also uses them. Perks are illegal, no share options or bonuses for us. My max pension will be about £8000, with no state handout.

David Leslie, Perth, Scotland

Whilst it's good the need for increased public sector efficiency is finally being addressed (albeit at a low level), I fear that this will not affect the "flat-hats and bureaucrats" - but to save their jobs and final salary pensions, crucial grassroots workers such as bin-men, teachers will go...

Jen, Edinburgh,

I work in a local authority & am proud to be a public servant serving the community. I am sick to the back teeth of my colleagues and I being run down and criticised when we are working hard to maintain public services in the face of decreasing funding and daft comments like these. Give us a break !

Rob Wiltsher, Bristol,

The ignorance displayed within these comments listed so far is overwhelming! The so called 'non-jobs' of diversity etc have to exist in order to deliver the legislative objectives set by central government. Address the issues created by central government policy and then real progress can be made.

Lee, Gwent, UK

OK, have it your way, sack everyone in all the so called non jobs, then the next time you expect a service from your council you won't be surprised that you either don't get it or have to wait for it! The mediocre services tend to come from the private sector contractors they employ anyway!

John, Newport, Wales

Chief Exec on £225,000+ pa v 2 vacancies on hold for 6 years(to support an overspend). We're still expected to complete the same amount of work with less staff - no wonder tasks take longer.
I went into local government as a single parent for security not money and have lost out on both.

Dee, Leeds,

I was in L gov for 30 yrs in Learning & Physical Disability. Essentials had to be fought for and failure to toe the party line resulted in black balling. In parallel senior managers continuously increased their own salaries whilst front line staff struggled many taking a second job. Same old greed!

Anna, London, England

Hooray!
That's the best news we've had for years.
With fewer flat-hats and bureaucrats around, maybe the rest of us will be able to get on with earning our way out of recession.
If it applied to central government we'd be on a roll!

Tim, Upwell, UK

hurray! the first bit of good news for the struggling and disadvantaged private sector. why should public workers enjoy job security, higher than average wages, huge pensions, 35 hour working weeks, fantastic holidays and more sick days than everyone else?

Gerry Bancroft, Doncaster,

..and while they are at it, Councils should also cease the use of expensive and unproductive "consultants". If the council employee cannot do the job properly without a consultant backing up (or even promoting) every poor spending decision, sack them and hire someone who can.

Steve, Milton Keynes, UK

Is that all? They should be sacking thousands and scrapping their generous terms and bullet-proof pensions.

Roger Slade, winchester,

Lets see if New Labour rush in to bail out the public sector as they have done with the private sector. Anyone who has worked in the public sector will have noticed that it is awash with private consultants delivering poor short term products at inflated prices, they are the real non jobs.

chuck wilson, stockport, United Kingdom

Nigel, Horsham, UK

........and how do you know all of this?

Bert, Keele,

I have asked this same question a number of times. Will someone please tell me what happened to Gordon Browns 2005 election promise that 70,000 civil service jobs were to be cut?

Tom Mein, Chania, Crete

Lets hope that this admission by councils that they have so many unnecessary employees is recognised within government departments. If councils are able to talk of getting rid of 7,000 non jobs then central government could multiply that by ten!

Paul Savage, Lambourn, Berkshire

hallelujah, a least its a slight decrease in the burden on the private sector. maybe this will also make the planning authoraties make the whole planning process less difficult. maybe now the nimbys of this country wont be able to hold us all to ransom

will, grimsby, uk

600000 extra public sector workers employed since Labour started 11 years ago. And they started with a booming economy. This is the tip of the iceburg.

Richard , , UK

The recession is bad you could lose all you have strive to get.
all consumers have followed buying what they want not what
they need.lessons will be learnt take,take,take,can not continue.try give,give,give

john mayall, birminham, westmidlands

Is this the dawn of a long overdue realisation that excessive public spending can no longer be added to the level of council tax ? Perhaps we may also hope that second division executives can no longer expect to be paid first division salaries.

Peter, Ipswich, UK

The managers, traffic wardens and non-jobs wont go. It will be binmen, front desk staff and so on. Mediocrity protects itself in the UK, starting from this most mediocre of governments down.

andrew, London,

Providing that they start at the top and remove the "chief Executives" and revert to "Town Clerks"

Remove the "Diversity Officers", "Compliance Officers" etc. and only employ those with skills to offer the public, especially employ competent people who can do a job and let them get on with it.

Chris Davison, Middlesbrough,

As a member of Unison, I could happily tell Mr Prentis that I have no problem with councils getting rid of all the 'Diversity Officer', 'Communication Officer' and 'Management Consutant' type non-jobs. It would be madness to keep them.

Paul, Coventry,

Will members of the public notice any cuts in services by local councils? I think not. If there are delays, this will be seen as normal working practice.

Rodney, Gainsborough, England UK

Business empires would never have survived even in good times had they followed Local Government practices. Far too many 'non' jobs, too many perks, and unrealistic salaries. Sustained by increased taxation, and decreasing service. Add arrogance and aloofness, few will have any sympathy with them.

Nigel, Horsham, UK

An average of 200 job losses/ council is hardly a lot- they probably lose that many staff anyway.
The private sector cannot indefinitely sustain a public sector which places increasing burdens on it via favourable pensions, rising council tax and now favourable unemployment. Something must give.

John F, Reading,

Good !!!!

About time , can we also scrap final salary pensions and sick pay and all the rest of the perks please.

John, Manchester,

Why not sack just the Chief Executives? They are ultimately the culprits who have built their importance up (and pushed up Council Bills) on a pyramid of non-jobs. If the jobs were really necessary in the first place this wouldn't be a story.

Andy, Liverpool, UK