Can the South West find a devolution solution?

The UK Government has invited local councils to submit proposals for further devolution.

It has asked for bids based on "sensible economic geographies" and suggests councils come together to form combined authorities - potentially headed-up by an elected mayor.

If accepted, this would then see additional funding and more local or regional control over things like public transport, adult education, and housing.

But is the prospect of councils across the South West working together a realistic ambition?

Cornwall has already signed two devolution deals with the previous Conservative Government.

Councillor Linda Taylor, the Conservative leader of Cornwall Council, said: "Our red lines are very clear. We've got a geographical area and an economical growth area - we are coming from a real position of strength.

"There's absolutely no need for Cornwall to even be considered as a combined authority.

"We want to have devolution in our right and to say quite clearly that we do not need to have a directly elected mayor."

Plymouth City Council pulled out of a previous devolution plan for Devon last year.

The authority's Labour leader, Tudor Evans, said they were open to a conversation about working with neighbouring authorities.

He said: "We believe that a peninsula wide deal for Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, bringing together a population of around 1.82m residents and 74,500 businesses would constitute a strong growth alliance for the South West.

"If we want to be on a similar footing as other areas across the country, accessing more powers for Plymouth and the region to deliver the growth we need, we must think wider than just Plymouth."

The Liberal Democrat leader of Dorset Council, Councillor Nick Ireland, said there was no point agreeing a devolution deal without necessary funding.

He explained: "We're being told if you're a combined authority you'll get X and if you're a mayoral authority you'll get Y in terms of your powers.

"Nobody's said what those powers are, nobody's said how much money you may get to go with them - because otherwise why bother?

"We're being told we need a mayor, but we're not convinced."

Councillor Bill Revans, the Liberal Democrat leader of Somerset Council, said he was open minded to having discussions with neighbours to find out what would work best.

He conceded: "The government has made it clear that it wants to have conversations with regions and it wants those regions to come forward with proposals.

"I don't believe there's a 'cookie cutter approach'. Obviously the government feels that having metro mayors has been successful in some cases but I'm not convinced it will be successful in all cases."

The government set a deadline of the end of September to hear back from councils about their proposals.

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