Preparations for Henley Regatta have started early at the DCLG judging by the frantic amount of rowing going on.

The only problem is that the rowing is all backwards. And the boat they are on is called The Jolly Unitaries.
For once again we have the unedifying spectacle of ministers and their civil servants attempting to extricate themselves from a mess of their own making. We've had the shambles of the junior doctors' website, the casino bids and the Home Improvement Packs. Now the unitary bids process, admittedly of far less interest to the national media than the other cock-ups, is set to join the list of ‘initiatives we would rather forget.'
Up until March this year the unitary process seemed on course. Ministers made it plain last autumn that rather than ditch the whole programme they would pursue the small number with the strongest case. They quoted a figure of eight saying this was all they could afford in start-up costs. On the local government cocktail circuit the assumption was most would be county-based.
Then came the surprise. When the provisional list was announced in March it contained not eight but 16 unitary bids. Some of them were unexpected, such as  Bedford BC with an elected mayor. There were rival bids in the same area as well as bids like Ipswich and Norwich which, if successful, would tear chunks out of their counties. Mr Woolas said that he had upped the list ‘due to the strong quality of the submissions and good value for money that they offer.' Some £200m would be saved annually.
Last week, after three months of internecine warfare between counties and districts, Mr Woolas announced the opposite. Actually, he said, the Government couldn't afford the bids after all. There were too many of them and therefore they would have to be prioritised.  Let's think. Is it possible that the final list could be eight, or maybe even less than eight? If so why allow the other eight to waste time and money putting in bids which had no chance of ever being successful?
I suggest in response that those eight who do not go through to the first round send the bill for their bid costs to the DCLG.
 Michael Burton,
Editor, The MJ