Devolution in the GLA has been good for London, primarily in the realm of transport but also in promoting London on the world stage. I'm sure similar devolution to a Northern powerhouse including Liverpool and Leeds would be of great benefit to the area and could begin to address London's dominance of the UK economy.

But they would continue to require massive subsidy from South East England if they were to improve their infrastructure. So there is no point given them tax raising powers when they are not net contributors to the UK economy, their only option for growth would be to lower tax rates outside London and rely more heavily on subsidies from Londoners. What's really in it for us?

The other problem with devolving power to the regions is exactly what happened with elected police chiefs. Seriously low turnout, few powers, and some people in the roles who really shouldn't be in there roles given their history.