One major consequence of the constitutional revolution, virtually unheralded at the time, that is the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act is that the prime minister's much-vaunted ability to seize the initiative by naming the date of the next General Election has disappeared.

There are already a plethora of local government commissions and reviews, covering everything from urban growth to non-metropolitan growth, local government finance, health and care integration and county deals, that are set to issue final reports between now and the first months of next year.