SANDWELL ONE OF FIVE WORST COUNCILS
22-02-2007
Sandwell Council has been ranked among the five worst performing councils in the country after receiving a one-star ranking from the Audit Commission, but it's a brighter picture for some of the other local authorities in the West Midlands. Birmingham has two stars, with Solihull, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Dudley all getting three.
The ratings are contained in the annual Comprehensice Performance Assessment published today. One consolation for Sandwell is that at least is its described as “improving adequately”; Stoke on Trent (which, incidentally, has an elected mayor) is said to be “not improving adequately”. Ooh-er. The greatest concerns for the Black Country borough are with its childrens' services, which are rated as only one star.
Birmingham on two stars is also “improving adequately”, while among the three star
councils Dudley and Solihull are said to be “improving well”.
Can we make any political inferences from these results? Sandwell is run by Labour; Brum by a Tory-Lib dem coalition; Dudley, Walsall and Solihull are all Conservative; Wolverhampton Labour. Draw your own conclusions.
(Check out the assessments for yourself at
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