SO it's no change in Worcester after the Conservatives remained as a minority administration in the city after yesterday's election.

In hindsight, it was an unexpected result.

Local elections tend to be the time when voters decide to give the Westminster government a kicking - and yesterday was no exception.

Gordon Brown's misery will only be complete if Boris Johnson becomes the mayor of London when the result of the capital's election is announced later today.

But the Tories' triumph in the rest of the UK was not mirrored in Worcester, perhaps signalling an end to the city being seen as a barometer of the national mood.

It is less than nine months since many saw a shock victory for Labour in a Worcester by-election, forcing the Tories into a minority administration, as a signal that Mr Brown would call a snap election.

He did not do so and little has gone right for him since.

There appears to be a growing belief that Mr Brown cannot win the next election. Indeed, one Labour soothsayer was quoted earlier this week as saying that he expected the party to lose the next two general elections.

The challenge for the Tories in Worcester now is not only to find support from non-Conservative councillors to shore up their administration but also to ensure that the best decisions are taken for the people of the city, not for party political expediency. Worcester has an exciting future - but its potential will not be achieved if the city continues to be the subject of the kind of divisive behaviour that marred this election campaign.