As the year draws to a close, Heather Jameson considers who's had a good year and who's had a bad year in local government.

Bad year
David Miliband. To be reshuffled just short of producing a White Paper... How frustrating. Or perhaps it was a good year after all. At least he will never have to face pushing his White Paper on to the statute books.
Sir Michael Lyons. Spend a year working to deadline, only to be told at the last minute you have more work to do, and your whole job will be delayed – again. Still, the salary probably makes up for it.
John Prescott. ‘Nuff said.
Labour councillors. They may not be reaching extinction yet, but someone should really start a campaign to protect them.
Mayors. Across the country, mayors faced the wrath of their political opponents trying to scrap them. But that doesn't seem to have stopped the DCLG trying to push directly-elected mayors in the White Paper. If, at first, your policies don't work, try, try again
Martin Winter. The mayor of Doncaster has taken a pounding from the press over his dealings with a regeneration project and his relationship with chief executive, Susan Law. He has been cleared of all allegations going into 2007 – but problems between him and Ms Law continue to rumble on.  
CPA. Postponed for 2006 and facing its final demise, things couldn't get much worse for the old league tables.
City regions. Where did they go? It all looked so promising for a while.
Good year
Michael Frater. A new job at Nottingham City Council and being hired to head up the Government's lifting the burden's taskforce, it was all good news for Mr Frater. But surely the highlight of his year was to have his former council – Telford and Wrekin – crowned best-achieving council of the year at The MJ Awards.
Ruth Kelly. What better way to spend the year than to join local government as communities and local government minister. Ms Kelly had a good start, with only mild heckling at the Local Government Association Conference.
Lord Sandy Bruce-Lockhart. Just as he is sorting out the LGA, he gets made a lord. And he didn't even pay for it.
Parishes. Forget double devolution, parishes are the new localism, beating the battle of the buzzwords to bring power to the people. Kingston upon Hull. Not only has Hull stopped being held high as an example of everything bad in local government, it is also in the money as cash flows in from Kingston Communications.
David White. Former chief executive of Thurrock Council may have had difficulties at his previous job, but he has made a miraculous recovery, picking up the top post at Norfolk CC. Also see Tim Thorogood from Swansea Council, whose silver lining came in the shape of the director's job at the Local Government Information Unit.
Unitary ambitions. Finally the chance to go solo is becoming reality. And it's not even being forced.
The MJ. Thanks for all your support in 2006.