When British Wildlife last reviewed the British country conservation councils (Scott 1992), one year after they were formed from the break-up of the Nature Conservancy Council, a general mood of cautious optimism was noted, but the overall conclusion was that ‘one year on from the split, …the jury is still out’. Now, five years after their creation – and with a general election looming – it seems timely to revisit the subject and discover whether a ‘verdict’ has yes been reached.