THERE were lots of new faces at last week's meeting of Buckinghamshire County Council, the first proper meeting after the elections in June.

No new stars shone on the day, but the ruling Conservative group will need to watch out for one of their new members, David Meacock, who wrested Amersham East from the talented Lib Dem, Michael Brand.

If Mr Meacock isn't a bit more restrained he is going to prove a liability to a party, which wants to be seen as caring, and an easy target for the seasoned opposition councillors.

We now know from what he said that Mr Meacock doesn't care for the way gipsies behave and that he reckons he is not alone in this. One of his leaders will have to tell him that the county council has a responsibility towards gipsies.

Political correctness may not be to everyone's taste but there are times when it's a sensible line to take.

Talking of political correctness, Wycombe Labour councillor Julia Wassell is still fighting her battle not to be called either Miss, Mrs or Ms Wassell but Julia. This drove the previous chairman Ken Ross up the wall though he did his best to accommodate her and it is now confusing new chairman Rex Lingham-Wood as well.

County council meetings are supposed to be formal at least until after lunch and everyone is given a handle to their name. But Julia won't wear it.

The chairman has been kind to her on this point, so perhaps she could in return stop trying to get chairmen called chairs. The Buckinghamshire chairmen are not pieces of furniture, as the Conservatives are always pointing out.

I would have thought the best advice was when in Rome do as the Romans do.

Council leader David Shakespeare, who has been chairman of more committees than he has had hot dinners, is content to go along with being the chair of the South East England Regional Assembly. If he can compromise, so can Cllr Wassell and all the other chair backers in County Hall.