AS we get closer to next year's crucial budget decisions and election time, boy is the heat getting cranked up in these council corridors.

Labour Councillor Lynn Denham seems to be upsetting anyone of a blue persuasion at the moment, which is certainly good entertainment if nothing else.

On Monday night she was accused of taking "cheap shots" over city council staff sickness rates, and by Tuesday night she was called the "Queen of cheap shots" in a Guildhall meeting after upsetting the normally mild-mannered leader Simon Geraghty.

After leaving the room early, with glares coming from every corner, Tory Chris Mitchell then called her the "Queen of slur".

It's supposed to be Christmas. Oo-er missus!

* HOW parliament works: Worcester MP Robin Walker raised the topic of dualling Carrington Bridge in the commons earlier this month, with Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin suggesting he should write him a letter about it to provide all the important details.

Obviously unbeknown to the Cabinet secretary, our man had already done exactly that, a full six weeks earlier!

Don't they open the post in the cosy confines of Government these days?

* ON the same topic, Robin has come in for some considerable stick from rival Labour politicians over Carrington Bridge saga, with some saying he's not convincing national decision-makers about how badly Worcester needs this estimated £70 million.

Yet it's not a view shared in parliament, where our MP seems to be on the verge of irritating people, so often is he bringing it up.

Just ask roads minister John Hayes. "Barely a night goes by when I do not dream about the Powick roundabout and the Carrington bridge," he grumbles.

Stuff it, let's write to him as well.

* LEADING Tory David Hughes has faced real criticism after former Malvern Hills District Council chief executive Chris Bocock retired with a tidy £170,000 enhanced redundancy package.

Most council leaders wanting to fight their corner when under attack from rival politicians would pick up the phone to the press, or if that makes them queasy, issue a press release via email - but not our pal Hughsie.

His carefully-constructed diatribe came from Henry Pepper communications, one of the county's leading PR firms, who he asked to do his dirty work.

Does someone do his make-up too? The Source wonders if he'd like to go on the X-Factor and mime a song to appear more authentic.