The decision, delivered via a swift and somewhat casual phone call, has left our county’s leaders fuming and the rest of us wondering if we’ll ever escape the clutches of centralised control.

After months of jittery anticipation and behind-the-scenes whisperings, Norfolk County Council got the call they dreaded: the deal, promising £20m a year for the next three decades and various other goodies, is no more. The reason? Labour doesn’t fancy the idea of a directly elected county council leader – they’d rather have a good old-fashioned mayor instead. Yep, like Greater Manchester’s Andy Burnham, but with fewer tram lines and more flat fields.

Conservative Council leader Kay Mason Billig didn’t hold back her dismay, describing the decision as being “ghosted” by the government. A political Tinder date gone wrong, if you like. She’s convinced that the government’s ditched Norfolk’s tailored deal in favour of some nebulous cross-county package – presumably lumping us in with Suffolk, whether we like it or not.

“Norfolk deserves better than this,” she raged, claiming that projects like Norwich’s Anglia Square and the revamp of Attleborough railway station could now be left high and dry. With civil servants cutting the funding cord, it’s unclear whether the regeneration schemes will ever see the light of day. Maybe we’ll get a new roundabout if we’re lucky.

Of course, the Labour lot had a field day taking potshots at the crumbled deal. Brian Watkins from the Lib Dems chirped about building a “new consensus” – sounds inspiring until you realise “consensus” is usually code for endless committee meetings and zero action. Steve Morphew of Labour outright dismissed the whole thing as “second rate” – ouch – while the Greens complained it wouldn’t have done anything about the climate crisis anyway. So, it seems everyone’s got an opinion, but no one’s offering solutions.

Meanwhile, independent councillor Ed Maxfield blamed “vested interests” for once again derailing any attempt at reform in our corner of the world. You can almost hear the collective sigh from anyone who’s been paying attention to local politics for the past few decades.

But the final twist? The Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government insists they’re still open to “discussions” – although they seem dead set on their mayoral preference. In other words, we can keep talking, but only if we’re willing to play ball their way.

So, where does this leave us? Back at square one, it seems, wondering if we’ll ever get the investment, powers, and autonomy Norfolk’s been promised and then denied time and again. Maybe we’ll get another deal on the table eventually – let’s just hope it’s not another dog’s dinner dressed up as a devolution feast. Until then, Norfolk remains in limbo, waiting for Whitehall’s next move.