IF Wirral is ‘The Fastest Improving Council’ it makes me wonder what on earth are the rest of the boroughs are like?

Wirral Council use this “tag” as and when it suits them.

But there are many things you cannot sweep under the expensive Wallasey Town Hall carpets.

Why pay a consultancy firm to look at leisure and the protection of front-line services?

To let the costs of hiring them spiral from an agreed £50k to five times that amount is gross incompetence.

What was the money spent on – can we have a breakdown, please?

I once lived in a flat in Chiswick and called out a gas expert because of a suspected leak.

The West London council said it was nothing to do with them (my poll tax bill was, though).

I was worried that I might die in my sleep due to toxic fumes The gas man cameth and it cost me £40 for the “call out consultant” (it was London - so even then in the early-90s, it was a case of Capital punishment).

It was an estimate for repair work and I agreed the fee, passed it the landlord and that was that.

Had he then sent me a bill for £200 I would have been outraged and said: “Hold on! You said £40 now it’s suddenly £200 - that is five times the figure we agreed.”

Most of the public are speechless at the council’s latest over-spending but not readers of the Globe (see many diverse comments online).

The council always maintain they will learn from their mistakes.

It’s not good enough.

It’s bad enough.

They are not even explaining why they are paying a company for a job that they themselves should be doing in-house.

When a council closes a well-respected school, reduces subsidised leisure facilities for Forces’ veterans and even contemplates getting rid of lollipop men and woman to save mere thousands, you know they are out of their depth.

They now call themselves a “cabinet” - they are playing at politics.

Start acting like a proper cabinet with all the responsibility that entails.

If residents can’t trust you – then you simply won’t be around to waste their money next May.

THE Royal Mint has set up a competition to design a logo for the flip-side of the new pound coin.

What do you think it should be?

A blown-out candle? A mug of Earl Grey tea?

They want something that symbolises the UK (no thistles please).

Which reminds me.

Don’t you think the UKIP logo looks like an advert for a loan company where you get more out a pound than you bargained for?

HERE’S a thought thrown up during the recent Scottish referendum.

If regions went it alone and had their own flag, what would Wirral’s be? Liverpool has its Liver Birds, Chester its Romans .

What would be a good symbol for Wirral? I asked this when I took Granty’s Inferno on the road for an after-dinner speech and had a fun Q and A session. Someone said a “double rainbow on a sunset.”

Another, less optimistic chap said “a kite with a broken string.”

I also asked if Wirral had its own accent. One lady said she couldn’t help me as she was originally from Frankby. The Vikings would be spinning in their graves.

Peter Grant.