SIR — Ian Liddell-Grainger's letter in the Free Press on December 21 was probably the only response he could give in the face of the district council's anger at his perceived lack of commitment to its survival.

The council assumes that its continued existence is a very good thing and in the best interests of West Somerset.

It also gives the impression that negotiations with other local authorities, eg Bridgwater, will be largely determined by pre-conditions which it will stipulate. This seems unrealistic from the vantage point of other local authorities.

They may well look upon the past management of West Somerset Council and feel that if they are to work with it in some way it is a reasonable requirement that they hold the strings of financial control together with the management of resources.

If in the final analysis the council has to enter into some form of 'unitary authority lite' with either Bridgwater or Taunton - something I am sure both of those local authorities will have great reservations about, in particular in the way services are currently delivered, as well as their current frequency and affordability - then it follows that there will inevitably be changes and indeed, realistically, there probably must be changes.

There may also have to be changes in respect of the number of councillors who can effectively represent us. In this case less may be more.

One cannot help but be struck by how the district council in wrestling with the fact of its almost certain demise is exhibiting the stages of mourning in dying patients identified by Dr Kubler-Ross et al.

First comes denial - "there must be some mistake"; then anger - "why me?"; then bargaining - an attempt to postpone the inevitable; followed by depression; sorrow over past losses and that which is to come (very apposite I think!); and finally acceptance and reorganisation.

Probably a wise and courageous patient who was responsible for the welfare of many, forgetting self, would quickly move towards acceptance and reorganisation in an attempt to mitigate the effect on others of a drawn out and chaotic passing.

Ian Galloway,

Washford.