Could the South soon have new super-authorities?

Councils in the south are still digesting their early Christmas present from the Labour government.

An offer of being allowed to make more local decisions on how to spend money on things like transport if they work together, with an elected mayor.

Places like Hampshire and Oxfordshire have long envied the powers granted to Manchester and Birmingham mayors - and the progress those cities have made.

The idea would be to create a super authority – Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset have already drawn up plans that could help coordinate where new houses are built for example. The Thames Valley has one police force, why not one mayor?

But as councillors removed the shiny wrapping paper from the proposals, they've realised the government also wants to simplify local council services by removing a whole layer of local government.

Councillors in, for example, the New Forest and the Isle of Wight have raised fears that their residents' interests would get lost in a takeover by more powerful next door neighbours.

But in places like Berkshire and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole mergers have already happened so they're not sure how they fit in.

Another worry is that the government is suggesting councils who go down this road won't have to hold elections in May this year, and there are growing voices calling that undemocratic.

So the New Year is starting to shape up like one long game of musical chairs, a distraction when there are so many problems to deal with.

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