Regarding the final Peer Review, it does look as if the 'it's all different now' tactics are starting to simmer away in the background (although I do reckon that it's one of the Mail's slightly more balanced efforts)...
http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/damning-report-into-council-1-5182071
Mayor Drummond added the report was a "fair reflection" at the time, but added: "To be fair quite a bit has changed and if they come back this time next year then hopefully they will see a different picture."
yep-there will be no Mayor.
How very, very strange. By coincidence, on the day that HTH took the Final Peer Group Report off it's main headine banner, The Mail finally got around to writing an article about it. What took them so long?