Editor's Note: THE Globe's online special report looking at controversial changes to the council's system of scrutinising decisions provoked this response from Lib Dem group leader Cllr Phil Gilchrist...

THE previous system was hardly effective in uncovering Wirral's failings.

If it had been, the council might not have got into such a mess.

Any new way of working depends on the personalities of the people running the system, and old habits die hard.

The reports to council from cabinet contain a few key themes, just what the administration wants to highlight.

Councillors are tiptoeing on eggshells, testing and trying out the new system.

You can ask pointed questions, like mine on the brown bin charging, and get bland answers.

Councillors have a duty to hard-pressed taxpayers to investigate when we have a feeling that something is going wrong, and getting to the full facts is the test of whether a system works.

To me, the three new and grandly-titled "performance committees" do not provide enough time for the digging that is needed.

Cllr Phil Gilchrist, Liberal Democrat group leader.