IT has not been an easy year for Liverpool council.
The departures of former leader Mike Storey and chief executive Sir David Henshaw, after the astonishing email scandal, rocked the town hall to its foundations.
Add to that the seemingly never-ending rows over trams, hospitals and roadworks, and you would expect the ruling Liberal Democrats to approach the elections with some concern.
The fact that another relatively comfortable victory is predicted shows that the Lib Dems have ridden the storm and emerged intact.
With cranes on site at Kings Dock and Paradise Street and Capital of Culture preparations under way, they can point to a very different Liverpool from the 1980s and 1990s.
The backlash against Tony Blair's government makes it harder than ever for their Labour opponents to focus on local rather than national issues.
Labour's chief targets for this year's elections, where 30 seats are up for grabs, include defending four vulnerable areas rather than pushing for the landslide needed for them to regain control.
The Lib Dems are actually hoping to make gains in traditional Labour areas, rather than worrying about losing their grip after eight years in power.
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