“Many of you may not be aware that there is a move for Devon and Somerset county councils, Torbay and Plymouth to work together to bid for devolved powers.

The bid is being run by something called the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, which has set itself the task of determining the future of the two counties for the next generation.

So who is on the board of this partnership and how representative of the people are the members? Of the 21 board members, three, yes, only three, are women. Even the boards in the City of London aspire to 33 per cent female membership, double that.

However, the following are well represented: the defence industry; consultants; further education and, of course, property consultants. There is no representation from agriculture, the countryside or from our diverse heritage, which is the very essence of Devon and Somerset.

One also wonders how many of the board were born in the two counties and also at the lack of any representation from ethnic minorities.