It would be wrong to intrude on the private grief of Birmingham Liberal Democrats, were it not for the fact that the party's latest internal squabbles impact directly on the efficient governance of this city.

The sacking of Councillor Talib Hussain, the cabinet member for local services and community safety, at the very least destroys the image of Lib Dems as sandal-wearing beacons of tolerance.

Even Labour, at the height of Militant Tendency infiltration, would have hesitated to act with such cold and ruthless efficiency.

Coun Hussain arrived at a group meeting to face a dossier of 36 allegations about his behaviour, including accusations of haughty conduct, failing to consult, bringing the party into disrepute, conspiring to build an internal faction and being too friendly with someone thought to be a Labour supporter.

These are precisely the woolly things that politicians come up with when they are intent, for one reason or another, on destroying the career of a colleague. Each claim sounds minor when taken on its own, but collectively gives the impression of serial misconduct.

More specifically, Coun Hussain appears to have upset his colleagues by behaving too independently. He withdrew a £6,000 grant to the Bangladeshi Welfare Association in the middle of the Aston by-election and refused a £30,000 grant for the Sutton Coldfield Citizens Advice Bureau.

Both decisions were certainly uncomfortable for the Lib Dems, partly because of a difficult election tussle against Labour and partly because of the party's need to remain sweet with Conservative coalition colleagues.

The fact that the chairman of the BWA is a Liberal Democrat councillor did not make things any easier for Coun Hussain. But Coun Hussain was paid to take difficult decisions, not to use council money to boost his own party's election chances.

The dossier drawn up to prosecute him is full of pompous pseudo-legal mumbo jumbo, concluding that it is not easy to prove "on the balance of probabilities" all of the allegations against him. Even so, his colleagues voted overwhelmingly to eject him from the cabinet.

It will be fascinating to discover who the Liberal Democrats select to replace Coun Hussain. Party leaders must be acutely aware that the composition of the cabinet, with only one woman and now not a single non-white member, is hardly in-keeping with Birmingham the multi-ethnic city.

Social progress

A declaration that social services is "serving some children well" would not normally be a cause for celebration.

But in Birmingham, the Commission for Social Care and Inspection's latest findings represent major progress.

It is a long, long way from the desperate years between 2000 and 2003 when the city council proved itself incapable of taking the radical steps that were required to develop modern, forwardlooking social services committed to delivering quality care.

There is no doubt that Birmingham Social Services was for many years seriously under-funded. Only recently has the council managed to find the political determination to do something about this, with a £45 million increase in spending which is equivalent to 15 per cent on the budget.

Funding is important, but even a bottomless budget will not bring success to a dispirited and badly-led workforce. The big step forward in the past couple of years has been a recognition of the need for better senior management and more effective staff training. Morale within the department is beginning to improve as a result.

There is still, of course, a long way to go although the prospects for future improvement are promising.

Anyone who predicted in 2003 that the CSCI would find pockets of excellence in Birmingham children's services, worthy of comparison with any authority in the country, would have been regarded as naively optimistic.

Much of this is due to the determination of Sue Anderson, the cabinet member for social care and health, and Peter Hay, the strategic director, who in a quiet but determined way have proved to be a most effective force for change.

The goal now is to achieve an excellence ranking from the CSCI, which although a tough target is achievable. To quote Mr Hay: "Mediocrity is not acceptable in Birmingham."

Wedded bliss

There can be no denying that the Victorian splendour of the Banqueting Suite in Birmingham's Council House will make an impressive setting for civil wedding ceremonies.

Who could resist treading in the shadows of Joseph Chamberlain and so many other great civic leaders, not to mention dining off the Lord Mayor's finest bone china?

On the other hand, is it really such a good omen to begin married life in a building where there have been so many bitter words, rows, plots and allegations over the years? It might not be everyone's cup of tea.