Scrutiny of the Government's approach to devolution is, quite rightly, unrelenting. It was just last month National Audit Office head Amyas Morse warned the Government's stance held 'an air of charting undiscovered territory', with no 'clear view of the landscape or, crucially, an idea of the destination' in place. This failed to conjour up the image of sun-drenched explorers like Christopher Columbus, rather likening ministers to the tragic figure of George Mallory facing the icy tundra. Hounding the Government at base camp this week, the House of Lords Constitution Committee was in no mood to grant a moment's respite. Rather unfortunately, the committee had to first reconcile its differences over the name attributed to handing powers down to local government. In what must have been a thrilling prelude to the examination of government policy, peers were at first unsure whether to term it decentralisation or instead follow Lord Heseltine's lead and label the process a 'new model of partnership between central and local government'. Catchy.
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