NICK CLEGG has the most exciting and radical plans for delivering power and independence to our towns and cities of any Westminster politician.

There, I’ve done it – I’ve praised the hate figure who has gone from the adulation of “Cleggmania” to the misery of having dog mess shoved through his letterbox.

In my last analysis of the prospects for the three party leaders, I want to argue that Mr Clegg – with his proposals for dramatic taxand- borrowing powers for town halls – has the potential to transform power structures.

Sadly, I fear he has little chance of achieving his aims.

Last week, we learned that Mr Clegg is pushing for councils to be “self funding”

–ending the tyrannical Treasury stranglehold that makes our town halls about the most impotent in Europe.

The deputy prime minister is demanding the ability to raise local taxes on fuel, sales, landfill, workplace parking, road pricing, tourism, waste collection, alcohol, tobacco and stamp duty, for example.

The money would go into town hall coffers, replacing some central government taxation and delivering proper spending power – provided there are safeguards to ensure richer areas do not benefit the most.

The shake-up would build on Mr Clegg’s pledge to introduce so-called tax increment financing (Tif), the ability to borrow funds for badly-needed transport and regeneration projects.

The Liberal Democrats have, of course, long condemned council tax as unfair and called for it to be replaced with a levy properly linked with ability to pay.

It would be quite a package, but one which – with the exception of borrowing powers – appears to have already been firmly squashed by Eric Pickles, the formidable Communities Secretary.

Of course, Mr Pickles’ idea of devolving power is to slash budgets to the bone, hurl mindless abuse at council leaders who protest and suggest daft referendums on everything – but he runs the department, remember.

In the same way, a Conservative rules the roost at almost every key spending department, at the Treasury, the Home Office, education, health, transport, work and pensions and so it goes.

Lacking influence where it matters, the Lib Dems are unable to carve out an independent message – having signed up in blood for the savage spending cuts that will dominate this parliament.

Already, Mr Clegg’s poll ratings threaten near wipe-out at the next election. Previous coalitions – in 1922 and 1932 – have collapsed because of grassroots revolt, even when its leadership appeared happy and stable.

Similarly, Mr Clegg’s position is only as solid as his support from below. A split – and his downfall – is entirely possible.

WHEN the planned Tees Valley Metro missed out on £29m of government cash last year, its promoters were urged to explore two other funding pots.

One was the £80m sustainable transport fund - but ministers have now decided that is not for light rail schemes, “because the money won’t stretch that far”.

The other was the famous £500m regional growth fund – but infrastructure projects are being rejected in favour of schemes that offer “quick wins” for job creation.

I shall be asking transport ministers if they have any other ideas.