Mike Whitby is away on his annual holiday to Barbados, although why he goes each year in the hurricane season is anyone’s guess, and during his absence the leadership of Birmingham City Council naturally passes to his coalition partner Paul Tilsley.

Or, does it? Is Tilsley in charge of anything other than his dwindling 24-strong Liberal Democrat group?

The reason I ask is because it has become abundantly clear recently that combative Sutton Coldfield Tory councillor Alan Rudge has stepped into Whitby’s shoes.

Although Tilsley is chairing cabinet meetings Rudge has been dominating proceedings, feeling the need to make a contribution on every subject rather than sticking to his own equalities and human resources portfolio as is the normal protocol – and very cogent his comments have been, too.

When I tackled him about this, he explained that he is the “deputy leader” and stands in when Whitby is away.

There is a distinction to be drawn, apparently, between young Robert Alden, who is the new deputy leader of the Conservative group, and Alan Rudge, who tells me he is deputy leader of the Conservative executive.

This position, hitherto unknown to all but the most dedicated Kremlinoligists, means that Rudge is deputy leader of the cabinet’s six Tory councillors.

Rudge explained: “There is a common misunderstanding about Bobby Alden. He is deputy leader of the group, involved in canvassing and that sort of thing. I am deputy leader of the executive.”

One imagines that this puts Rudge in pole position to become leader of both the Conservative group and what will then by the shadow executive after next May when Labour seems certain to have won an overall majority on the city council. It appears highly unlikely that Coun Whitby will want to hang around in opposition, or that most Tory councillors would wish him to do so.

Rudge, instinctively to the right of Whitby on most issues, is undoubtedly strong meat to many Liberal Democrats. But he won’t have to worry about that next year when the coalition finally collapses and the Lib Dem group slumps to a membership of fewer than 20.

His star has been rising steadily since 2004, when he took over responsibility for modernising the council’s arcane salary structures, doing away with unfair bonuses paid to male manual staff for simply turning up to work, and overseeing introduction of equal pay. Against all the odds Rudge has managed to impose huge pay cuts on thousands of council staff without triggering any serious industrial action.

He has also managed to build up respect among the more liberal members of the Conservative group by playing an active peacemaking role in bringing together Birmingham’s ethnic minority communities and putting the case for racial tolerance. Indeed, Rudge’s support for Home Office attempts to promote integration and tackle gun crime has been little short of evangelical.

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The performance of Birmingham secondary schools continues to provide politicians with plenty of fodder.

City bosses have been losing no opportunity to talk up the latest exam statistics which show that 55 per cent of pupils attained five A*-C GCSEs including English and maths. Deputy council leader Paul Tilsley called them “fantastic results”.

Education Secretary Michael Gove sees it differently and is concerned at the 45 per cent of children leaving school without decent qualifications. “Birmingham needs many things to change and I know just how much change is needed,” he told MPs.

Tory cabinet schools member Les Lawrence reacted with typical bluster, calling Mr Gove an “attainment denier”.

Not a good idea to annoy publicly the Education Secretary. It is also emerging that disquiet exists over exam results among Conservative councillors.

Robert Alden, deputy leader of the Tory group, said: “The number of people leaving schools in Birmingham without decent qualifications is a real problem and has to be improved.”

He went on to point out that children without qualifications are most likely to be from deprived backgrounds, adding “it’s all about social mobility”.

Coun Alden may discover that his social mobility is heading backwards if he fails to toe the party line.

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In the age of the internet and instant communication, single-issue campaigns can appear to be rather more significant than is actually the case.

It is claimed that the movement opposed to the HS2 high speed rail link between London and Birmingham has widespread and growing support.

This is because the sharp-elbowed middles classes in the Home Counties stockbroker belt are adept at publicity and have friends in high places.

But I am reminded, following the death of the former high court judge Sir Desmond Fennell, that the HS2 protest is as nothing in comparison with great Nimby campaigns of the past.

Sir Desmond led the Wing Airport Resistance Association, which defeated plans to build London’s third airport in Buckinghamshire. Incredibly, the association achieved a membership of 60,000 and the largest demonstration against the airport was attended by 12,000 protestors. Sir Desmond famously remarked: “Politicians can see a bandwagon when it is rolling.”

Indeed they did see a bandwagon, and the Government duly caved in by kicking a decision about the third London airport into the long grass.

Whether David Cameron is made of sterner stuff remains to be seen, although the Prime Minister appeared to pre-empt a consultation process by telling the Post that high speed rail would definitely go ahead.