JILTED at the altar after the first bride suddenly got cold feet, Worcester City Council once again dusts off those wedding togs as it woos another suitor in its quest for a financial match made in heaven.

Malvern Hills called off the nuptials at the last moment and now it’s the county’s turn to be romanced by a city council that must arrange a marriage of convenience before the dowry runs out.

Make no mistake, the council is in a mess. A combination of factors – not least of which was a belowinflation settlement from central government – has brought the authority to its present parlous state.

The time has now come for some serious talking.

This newspaper therefore welcomes a number of radical cost-cutting plans being discussed by councillors.

A shared chief executive, which would save almost £100,000 a year, plus joint backroom services and reorganised frontline operations, are steps in the right direction.

There are no doubt many other areas where savings could be achieved without too much pain being inflicted.

Unfortunately, at some stage, jobs – and we’re not just talking about top-tier management here – will increasingly start to come under scrutiny. There may well be difficult times ahead for all of us, whether public employee or taxpayer.

At the moment, it’s just a case of a few welcome overtures being made.

Whether a bride will eventually be led up the aisle remains to be seen.