Ex-local government minister Nick Raynsford has always maintained that at the end of his tenure at the ODPM he regarded reorganisation as inevitable and desirable whereas at the start, he thought the complete opposite.

The former minister maintains a close involvement in local government, not least as a regular contributor to The MJ, and his views are therefore valuable, both because of his continuing interest in the subject as well as his experience in office. So, his view that reorganisation is not only inevitable but must also be imposed ‘top down' should also be regarded seriously.