Separately, all these would-be devolved authorities published proposals before chancellor Osborne’s September deadline, aimed at joining up between 4 and 19 local authorities. Note the imperial ambitions of “Greater” Essex and Yorkshire.
Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire (19 authorities)
Sheffield City Region (including bits of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire)
Greater Essex (15 authorities)
Gloucester County (7 authorities)
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight (15 authorities, 2 national parks)
North Yorkshire (York and the East Riding)
Greater Yorkshire (Hull fighting off the East Riding)
West Yorkshire (Leeds City Region – Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield – with land grabs into North Yorkshire and York)
West of England (4 authorities and the West of England Core City Region)
Devon and Somerset (17 authorities)
• Related article The atomisation of England