Oxfordshire County Council has failed to improve its rating for the third year running and is today provisionally ranked a "fair" performing authority.

County council chief executive Richard ShawBut a war of words has begun, with Tory council leader Keith Mitchell maintaining the authority is heading in the right direction, while Labour opposition leader Liz Brighouse says the ranking shows County Hall is "all talk and no action".

Inspectors from Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's office examine council departments, awarding one star for the worst performers and four for the best. They also assess management performance.

In Oxfordshire, social services continues to come under fire, with adult and children's services ranked with a score of two, while education scores four after a recent excellent Ofsted inspection.

Environment, libraries and leisure, and use of resources all score three -- the same mark the council achieved for overall service.

But there is dissatisfaction with the results of its corporate assessment -- an audit of finances, aspirations and plans -- and the authority has appealed against the findings. The final rating will be published in the new year.

Meanwhile, the Audit Commission has based its published findings on a 2002 inspection.

Mr Mitchell said: "The people of Oxfordshire can be confident this council is heading very much in the right direction." Although the inspectors gave the council a score of two for its ability to improve, they said the authority had the foundations for progress, including increased political stability and quality staff. There was a 20 per cent improvement in services compared with its 2002 inspection.

This year, County Hall has been dogged by financial controversies, including the admission that £1m of social and healthcare directorate funding was "lost", the Cornmarket Street fiasco in Oxford, and problems with its internal computer network.

Mrs Brighouse said: "It's all talk and no action. Fair two years ago and fair now is hardly an improvement.

"This is on the back of all the financial management problems we have had, many of which are still not resolved."

Chief executive Richard Shaw, who leaves Oxfordshire to take up the running of Surrey County Council, a "good" performing authority, in the new year, said: "I am very pleased to see this confirmation of huge improvement in both the way the council is run and the quality of our services to the residents of Oxfordshire."