I was asked to give a presentation to the local university of the third age. The topic they wanted to me to discuss was ‘What does a district council do?'.

I started with the usual complexities of local government, a slide of the 300-plus authorities overlaid with 30-plus counties and 10 national parks, not to forget 650 MPs and 1,000s of town and parish councils, health trusts and LEPs. I then described the possible outcomes and implications of the devolution agenda for South Lakeland.