Unlike the health service, local government has been spared structural upheaval by the coalition. Indeed, in opposition, Conservatives made it clear they were opposed to reorganisation and promptly blocked the last three unitaries in Devon, Norfolk and Suffolk on taking office in 2010.

Apart from scrapping the regional development agencies (RDAs)and replacing them with watered-down local enterprise partnerships the Government has stuck to its pledge. The question, is how long can that continue?