While it is clear from the Queen’s Speech that city devolution will be centre stage for local government, it begs the question – what about the counties?

It has become a mortal sin within the commentary world of local government to mention city devolution without a disclaimer to include non-metropolitan areas to pacify the counties and districts.

While it is clear there needs to be a ‘devo shire’ offer, the picture for counties is far less easy and clear-cut than their city counterparts. No one expects devo deals to all look the same, but are we likely to see a directly-elected mayor – a proviso of the chancellor’s offer – across a combined authority of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire?