The Government's positive messages on devolution will not lead to progress unless council finances are rescued and planning capacity rebuilt, a think-tank chief has warned.

Speaking to The MJ, deputy general secretary of the Fabian Society, Luke Raikes, said: ‘There's a lot of really positive words on devolution to the mayoral combined authority areas, but none of it goes anywhere without the issue of council finance being resolved. That doesn't just apply to the councils that are under a lot of pressure with section 114s. It applies more generally to organisations that just don't have that spare [planning] capacity to do some of the regeneration, economic development and even policy thinking that's needed.'