This has been the case for long enough that special measures ought to be applied. We ought to be looking at options and having an open debate about which method will work best.

It doesn’t matter much if one calls for a breakup, or a very visible top-to-bottom shakeout, or some other way, so long as we are talking about clearing away the old and replacing it with something new.

The current leadership seems to have taken the message on board, but they face the inertia of entrenched personnel and a hostile public. Were local government to say ‘We Quit’, people at Whitehall and across the city would be forced into action.

I happen to think that a conurbation of several smaller cities could lead the way for a renewed sense of confidence and a level of sensible cooperation across regional services.