Cllr Shooter’s critique of the Barnet leadership hints at, but does not fully express, the real problem with Barnet Council, namely its size.

Barnet is a place in Hertfordshire totally different from and irrelevant to inner north London.

It is ridiculous that the two try to co-exist in a single borough. They don’t and that goes to the heart of why Barnet has been failing its citizens for almost half a century.

Barnet has an indefensible outer boundary, with gerrymandered wards created for the convenience of politicians, not communities, and most of all an overblown self perpetuating bureaucracy that will cost taxpayers more than �1billion before the next council election.

Any new leader should on appointment call in the boundary commission to review both the ward and borough boundaries and also launch a consultation on abolishing Barnet altogether. It’s time to scrap Barnet and save �1billion.

Steve Deller

Cotswold Gardens, NW2

So Cllr Lynn Hillan explained that she needed �20,000 more per year for herself because the council budget has been cut by 25 per cent over the next three years, thus making life more difficult for her.

This surely deserves utmost praise for being the most absurd and hilarious political argument of the year. Workers everywhere are asked to work more for less pay, if they are lucky enough not to be laid off altogether should things go wrong with their employer.

Mrs Hillan’s attitude demonstrates once more that we not only suffer from a financial crisis, but much more from a deplorable lack of responsibility and moral standard within the political establishment.

Dr Gerhard Behrens

Avenue Mansions, Finchley Road, NW3