I was surprised and a bit pleased that Friday’s piece on the political soap opera at Walsall Council received a decent reception and appears to have been quite widely read – but I have to say that there’s a cracking article on the subject been published in the Express & Star today.

I suspect it was written by Political Editor Dan Wainwright, with whom I’ve locked horns before, but I salute this excellent piece wholeheartedly. On Mike’s tenuous control of his coalition, and the Ed Milliband visit, the writer is spot on, in my opinion.

If you’re interested in local politics, it’s really worth a read.

I also note that one of the first victims of the political turmoil is the plan for an Oak Park Leisure Centre replacement, which has just been kicked into the long grass by the Labour group teaming up with UKIP to vote it down. That should do wonders for the popularity of both parties locally.

It’s a little odd, however, to see Mike Bird use the phrase ‘the costs are huge and maybe we can only afford a Mini instead of the Rolls-Royce’ after the mayoral car debacle. An irony meter shop will soon be opening in Bridge Street offering replacements for all the ones that exploded. It’s an ill wind.

About the only decent plan to come from the coalition and it’s sunk. Way to go, folks…

That’s a rather unfortunately florid image of Big Mike, I must say. From the Express & Star website, 21st June 2014. Click on the image to read the article.