A MESS of pottage is something immediately attractive, but of little value taken foolishly and carelessly in exchange for something more distant.

Well, Malvern Hills District Council's ruling Conservatives drank greedily of the pottage last week.

They voted mutely and meekly to agree to appoint a joint chief executive and senior management team with Wychavon Council.

The pottage in this case is a government bribe, but the more distant thing that is being given away is our independence.

I regret being a Cassandra figure and suspecting that this would happen.

Have our civic leaders learned nothing from the ill-fated attempt to merge Herefordshire and Worcestershire? It seems not.

Our future as an independent area of our great county is seriously threatened by this short-sighted vote.

Francis Whiston

Malvern