The first meeting of the Council of the Nations and Regions got underway in Scotland last week. But the absence of the Prime Minister's axed chief of staff Sue Gray has raised a question about the future impact of the new political body.

It was not the only recent bump in the road for the Government. In an interview at the weekend to mark the Government's first 100 days in power, the Prime Minister admitted: ‘There are always going to be choppy days, choppy moments.'