Birmingham Post

As to the discovery of the Iron Angle judging panel at a warehouse at midnight, surrounded by a box full of blank ballot papers, there is nothing remotely odd about such behaviour. We were simply carrying out necessary checks.
And the winners are . . .
* Conservative Councillor of the Year: Len Gregory. Another splendid year for Gregory, whose understated approach to running transportation, combined with a pathological hatred of spending money, so aptly sums up the Tory half of the Progressive Partnership. Still no sign of a decision on the Tyburn Road bus lanes, or anything else much for that matter. We are reminded of Dorothy Parker's riposte upon being told that American President Calvin Coolidge had died: "How can they tell?"
* Liberal Democrat Councillor of the Year: Martin Mullaney. Mullaney, unlike many of his colleagues, has no intention of kow-towing to the Tories. He will keep wanting to do things, like pushing for Lib Dem policies to be implemented – such as comprehensive recycling facilities, wheelie bins and the full restoration of Moseley Road swimming baths. He may pay for such insolence, by being sacked as transportation scrutiny committee chairman, but if that happens, he will be an even more effective force from the backbenches.
* Labour Councillor of the Year: Steve Bedser. Not much in the way of competition here, since most of Bedser's colleagues are content to turn up at meetings, say nothing, go home and collect their expenses.
However, Bedser has had a productive year, single-handedly exposing the spin and lack of substance behind the council's sustainability push and daring to question how business transformation can save £1 billion without slashing jobs.
* Backbencher of the Year: Mick Wilkes. The Hall Green intellectual colossus has become a one-man opposition party. Having exposed the barm-pot split site library scheme, causing the idea to be dropped, Wilkes now has his teeth into the Centenary Square Rep-Library plan, not to mention his tirade against the Chamber of Commerce's bizarre support for outsourcing.
His forensic scrutiny examination of the library business case promises to be one of the highlights of 2008.
* Leon Trotsky Award for Airbrushing: Cushman & Wakefield. There they were, C&W, proudly mentioned in every speech by council leader Mike Whitby. And then, suddenly, cast into outer darkness never to be heard of again. And all because Manchester had the temerity to beat Birmingham as the best UK city outside of London in which to do business.
* Political Foot-Shooting Award: Mike Whitby. The council leader's very public falling out with Conservative Party leader David Cameron over the issue of directly elected mayors is as entertaining as it is inevitable. Cameron thinks mayors are a good idea. Whitby doesn't.
Cameron thinks the people of Birmingham ought to vote on whether they want a mayor. Whitby described the debate as puerile, adding for good measure that Cameron had come up with other mad ideas which were then quietly dropped.
This year's Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, when the two great leaders will come face to face, should be a cracker. Sadly, for Mike, there will be only one winner – and it's not him.
* Achiever of the Year Award: Paul Tilsley. Quite how the deputy council leader manages to persuade his Lib Dem group to remain junior partners to the Tories in the Progressive Partnership is indeed a mystery.
Could be something to do with all those scrutiny committee and regulatory committee salaries. Or perhaps it's just down to Tilsley's charm and tact.
* Iron Angle Award for Endeavour: Anonymous. The identity of the person with the most important job in the Council House is unknown, but whoever re-writes all press releases to make the first three words "Councillor Mike Whitby" is doing a sterling job.