Why does local government usually lose? The question is probably too stark - councils do persuade ministers to make concessions on the small stuff, but struggle to make headway on the big issues like education and children's services.

We win skirmishes while the war continues to slip away.

There are two parts to an answer.

The first is that local government is too willing to play the policy game on the centre's terms. We muster the abundant evidence about decentralisation and then flog our hearts out trying to persuade civil servants whose defaults are all set to the status quo.