"From Stalin to Mr Bean"

Brown under fire - responding to the latest crisis in Labour party donations, acting Lib-Dem leader Vince Cable MP has said the Prime Minister has transformed from "Stalin to Mr Bean" in a matter of weeks.

The wheels of the Labour bus haven't just wobbled in recent weeks, but are smashing against the axles.

The Northern Rock crisis, 25 million records being lost, a military ambush by former chiefs of defence and now dodgy donations.

I sense there is added meaning to New Labour's mantra "things can only get better"; but after 10 years, will they?

The Labour Party have had an unbroken reign over Manchester City Council since 1973, but where are we now, 34 years later?

Have we a clean and safe public transport network that is the envy of the region? Do our buses, trains and trams run quickly and on time throughout the city, connecting up with every part of the city on a regular basis? Is it quicker to hop on a bus than get in your car?

Are our children well educated, inspired and aspirational; eager to shape the world in their own vision with a shared sense of purpose and ambition? Do our citizens have high life expectancy and high expectations of our future together?

Are our neighbourhoods safe and free from the terrible grip of criminal gangs? Have we a well funded police force that has time to properly engage with their communities and the space and resources for proper detective work?

Have we harnessed the technological innovations and expertise of our local scientists, city planners, architects and engineers to create a beautifully efficient, modern, advanced and splendid metropolis, flowing and cutting between green open spaces and urban public places?

If we cannot answer 'yes' to these questions, then what - quite frankly - is the point of Manchester Labour? And more so, what has it been up to these last 30 years?