The devolution agenda has been on a rollercoaster in the past few months. Brexit has resulted in a reduced role in government for George Osborne, one of the agenda's champions.

High profile figures Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram were announced as Labour candidates for mayor of Greater Manchester and Merseyside. More recently, communities secretary Sajid Javid has taken a proposed devolution plan for the North East of England ‘off the table', after four of the seven councils involved voted against the deal.