THE Bolton libraries saga will have confirmed the prejudices of cynical folk who have severe doubts about “consultation”

processes.

In spite of campaigns and petitions against all branch closures, the council has signalled the final chapter for five of them. The suspicion in some minds is that Astley Bridge, Castle Hill, Highfield, Oxford Grove and Heaton were the targets all along.

Bolton Council’s Executive Committee agreed this option last week after considering a hefty report on the review of library services in the borough.

Bizarrely, there is to be another period of public consultation until September 16 before a final council decision is made in October.

I suspect that all the people who use the threatened branches will, if asked, say they want them to remain open. And it seems likely that anti-closure campaigners will continue to oppose “cultural vandalism”.

Will any of it make a difference? I doubt it.

Bolton Council is making tough decisions because the coalition government is playing a hard austerity game that will continue long after we all get used to the absence of these library facilities.

This is a government, remember, that preaches a “localism” agenda. In this case the locals want their libraries to remain open and — in spite of “consultations”

— they are likely to be shut.

No wonder people lose faith in politics