Ever since the Government fired the starting pistol on devolution and local government reorganisation last December, the Devolution Priority Programme areas have been working towards this week's deadline for proposals. One thing is already clear: there are no easy answers. Not a single area looks set to submit a unanimous proposal.
Perhaps that was inevitable. But the consequence is stark: local government is handing the decisions about its future back to ministers. Consensus may be difficult but letting the secretary of state decide your fate feels like another blow to local sovereignty – before structural reform has even begun.
