Local democracy needs the X factor

Tony's response to the local election massacre by massacring members of his cabinet sends a sorry message about local government. It would be daft to suggest that local government doesn't carry the can for central government cock ups and vice versa (although less so) but a new approach is needed if local politicians are really to be held to account locally. First past the post may well be best for strong national government but the system is biased against local government if it is seen as a harmless way of protesting against the elected government. That an administration that has demonstrably delivered excellent local services is kicked out just doesn't make sense. There are league tables of how any local authority is graded in terms performance, so why not adopt the style of TV talent shows and balance this expert mark against any public vote to produce the result. Low performance and a low public vote will still get rid of the one's with two left feet or voices like fog horns but a moderate vote and high performance will allow the best to cling on for another chance to extend their fan base. How's that? Makes sense to me.....