Fiscal devolution is an idea that has gained traction in recent years. For local government the attraction appears simple – allowing us to raise our own funding so we don’t have to rely on the vagaries of Westminster and go cap in hand to the Government.

And as Rishi Sunak’s comments about moving funding from ‘deprived urban areas’ showed, the current funding system is vulnerable to political interference. Why wouldn’t local authorities want to become financially autonomous if they fear the current government will give them a rough deal when writing the formulae that underpin their funding?