There should be no surprise at the Audit Commission verdict that Oxford City Council provides poor value for money. Nor should there be any surprise to see politicians of the three main parties queueing up to blame each other for it. Both have been going on for years - for far too many years. And it is quite obvious that the two are related.

The way that this year's council budget was decided is illustrative of the problems that have dogged the city council over many years. And who is to blame? Put simply, all of our councillors are to blame.

Last week, we saw the minority ruling group, the Liberal Democrats, put forward a budget with a two per cent increase, only for it to be ambushed by Labour and the Greens who added some of their own schemes to make it up to four per cent. As the ruling group, albeit with a minority of seats, the Liberal Democrats will have to deliver this budget.

Is this any way to run a council? No it is not, but it has been run like this for some time.

In May, there will be elections to the city council. It is anybody's guess what we will end up with. Recent history suggests that it will once again be a hung council.

That does not mean voters are endorsing the chaotic political management that we have had over recent years. What it does do is put the onus on our councillors to put aside petty party political differences and work together to provide a cohesive administration that will deliver value for money services for the residents of Oxford.

We do not believe that this is difficult. Strip away the political hats and there is far more that unites our local representatives than divides them.