There is a school of thought that suggests the culled number of Devolution Priority Programme (DPP) areas – six rather than around the initially predicted dozen – was down to several factors.

Ministers didn't quite grasp the political backlash likely to come from cancelling elections, that the Treasury baulked at the cost, and that it was all far more difficult than originally envisaged. The same could be said for everything surrounding local government reorganisation (LGR) – only more so.