I notice from the Champion newspaper (a paper not particularly well known for making Labour feel the heat) that has just dropped through my letter box that Merseytravel’s councillors allowances are under the spotlight at last.

Readers will recall that we Lib Dems recently exposed the ridiculous level of allowances being paid by the Labour run local Transport Authority. The paper quotes a Merseytavel spokesperson as saying  “The Authority has agreed to an independent review of members’ allowances and has approached someone appropriate for the role.”

I wonder who the reviewing person is? I also wonder why when all local Councils have had Independent Remuneration Panels for many years now setting the amount of councillors allowances why Merseytravel has not had one?

Now we want an independent inquiry into the £70m Merseytram fiasco and Merseytravel’s recent backing out of local railway integration which we are told cost £1.5m. Merseytravel are feeling the heat of public scrutiny but not soon enough in my view.

So well done the Champion for helping to turn the heat up on Labour; you may have surprised me but it has been a welcome surprise.