Randal sticks the knife into Mike, with style

The first sliver of cold steel comes with the telling phrase that "more needs to be done".
And in a glimpse of what would be a new right wing agenda for Birmingham, Coun Brew promises to get rid of 3,000 council workers in two years.
Assuming that he is referring to the 40,000 non-teaching staff, that's almost 10 per cent of the workforce for the chop.
Quite how this would go down with the Conservatives' Liberal Democrat partners, it is difficult to say. I hazard a guess at not very well at all.
The section on "high cost projects" is remarkable for giving the distinct impression that schemes like the library, Olympic swimming pool and municipal bank are going to be pared back without actually spelling this out in any coherent way.
Coun Brew starts, again, by implying praise for Coun Whitby's vision.
He says: "High cost prestige projects, such as the new library, Olympic swimming pool and the proposed Birmingham Bank are important for the city's image and reputation."
So far so good, but there is a sting in the tail.
He adds: "I would wish to examine the source of their funding and determine priorities in the light of undoubted public sector cutbacks and uncertain support even from the next Conservative government.
"We need to properly assess priorities and affordability so that we are in control of situations rather than reacting to them."
What does this mean? The library project is well underway and towards the end of the planning stage and it is difficult to imagine that a Brew-led council would do any more than tinker around the edges by imposing a bit of cost cutting here and there.
The municipal bank and Olympic pool, however, are surely doomed both in the light of Brew's determination to cut council spending and on the basis of whether these initiatives are really needed in Birmingham.
The real question mark over the manifesto is whether Brew is offering enough to disgruntled backbenchers to secure the votes he needs to topple Whitby.
He promises an "immediate change" by seeking to "engage with backbenchers personally" and to be "more accessible and open to discussion".
Policies should not be presented in a non-negotiable way, as has allegedly happened under the Whitby regime.
He is promising to allow two backbenchers to be elected to the Conservative group executive and to have the body chaired by a backbencher.
And then there is the touchy-feely stuff.
A Randal Brew-led council would be firm but fair, tough but compassionate.
But the new leader wouldn't be a pushover, he would display "steeliness as and when necessary".
Can he win? yes he can.
Will he win? My money remains on Whitby, but much will depend on Monday night's Conservative group meeting where the council leader will have to make the speech of his life in order to save his job.
http://tinyurl.com/oy7bar