It's hard to work in a political environment without being caught up in the politics every now and then – as many a fallen chief executive will probably tell you in the small hours at a SOLACE conference bar.

The MJ has always trodden the fine line between policy and politics, and erred on the side of fact when it comes to bun-flinging. But there are times when we can't help but be caught up in the politics of local government policy.