.. and the second word is "off"

We see that the antipathy shown by Cardiff Bay towards Welsh local government is about to be reciprocated big time. Not only are the leaders of 22 councils set to tell the Welsh Government Carl to take a hike over collaboration proposals but they have put out a release stating their intention beforehand.

Sources say the move was not entirely unexpected. Although the Labour cabinet nodded through plans for six service delivery areas in July, local authorities soon highlighted the mismatch of services organised within the boundaries of local health boards and the strategic areas covered by the spatial plan used for economic development, European funding programmes plus environmental & social initiatives.

These points reportedly went unacknowledged by officials and matters were not helped by the announcement of an intention to impose 'intervention measures' at Pembrokeshire council - which is led by the top man at the Welsh Local Government Association.

Come Friday, the WLGA will be advised to stick to the current inter-authority working arrangements and ignore Carl Sergeant's coterminous template. The Beeb report that council leaders will also collectively demand that ministers agree to a number of pledges, including no policy changes for three years, more budget flexibility and a tighter agreement o intervention in councils' affairs.

Such unanimity of purpose among council leaders - except when voting through their allowance increases - is unprecedented. We hear that feelers are already going out, via sympathetic cabinet members, over the possibility review into the timing of any proposals, i.e. kicking it into the long grass until after next May's local elections.