Liberal Democrats outstrip performance of Tories and Labour in Local Government

10.38.24pm GMT Tue 20th Dec 2005

The annual Comprehensive Performance Assessment ratings for local councils, published last week by the Audit Commission, show that Liberal Democrat authorities are outperforming those run by other parties.

80% of the authorities run by Liberal Democrats scored either 3 or 4 out of a possible 4 stars - a higher proportion than either of the other parties. The news is not all good, however. The Audit Commission have said that many local authorities in England are not doing enough to make sure they provide value for money to taxpayers.

This year's test was much tougher than in previous years, but continued good scores show that councils are generally performing well. The inspections show that councils are out-performing central government, and we spend £1.8bn of tax payers' money on making councils jump through these hoops to prove it. Councils should, of course, be held to account, but surely some of this money would be better spent on local services?