Prime Minister Andy Burnham has offered every part of England without devolved powers the opportunity to pursue a devolution deal, while explicitly opening the door to agreements that do not require an elected mayor.
In a statement to the House of Commons on 1 September, Burnham said he had asked Number 10 North to begin work with Cornwall Council and Cornwall's six MPs on a new devolution deal "with or without an elected Mayor".
He then extended the same offer to all parts of England that currently lack devolved power, presenting the move as part of what he said would be the biggest redistribution of power the country has seen.
Mayor no longer presented as a requirement
The most politically significant element of the announcement is Burnham's willingness to contemplate devolution deals without an elected mayor.
Previous rounds of English devolution have frequently centred on mayoral combined authorities, particularly in major city regions. Burnham's statement suggests his Government is prepared to use a more flexible model for areas where a directly elected mayor may not command local support.
Cornwall will be the first test case. The Prime Minister said Number 10 North would work with Cornwall Council and all six of the county's MPs on the shape of a deal.
Offer extended across England
Burnham told MPs that he was concerned about the possibility of a two-tier England developing between areas with substantial devolved powers and those without them.
He said the same devolution offer being made to Cornwall would therefore be available to every part of England that does not currently have devolved power.
The First Secretary of State is also writing to MPs setting out how they can engage with Number 10 North on behalf of the places they represent.
Burnham promises 'biggest redistribution of power'
The Prime Minister said his Government would oversee what he described as the biggest redistribution of power the country has seen.
That is a political commitment rather than a completed transfer of powers. The details of individual deals, the areas that choose to participate and the legislation or agreements required to implement them will determine the eventual scale of the programme.
Burnham said the next stage of English devolution would include powers over post-16 technical education, employment support and fiscal devolution.
He also confirmed plans to allow devolved areas to introduce an overnight visitor levy, with that power expected to begin towards the end of the 2027/28 financial year.
Number 10 North given central role
Number 10 North will act as the main Whitehall route for regions seeking decisions, powers and resources from central government.
Burnham said the body had been created to help rewire the British state and would work closely with the Treasury on the Government's regional growth agenda.
He also said civil service capacity would be redirected from the national level towards regional and local government as part of the devolution programme.
Cornwall had already pushed for a rural model
Cornwall Council has been seeking a model of devolution suited to a predominantly rural area and had already been discussing its ambitions with the Government.
In August, Cornwall Council said Burnham had welcomed its work on a rural model and its discussions with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government over designation as a Single Foundation Strategic Authority.
The new Commons announcement goes further by explicitly instructing Number 10 North to begin work on a deal and by confirming that an elected mayor need not be a condition of reaching one.
Devolution offer also raised with devolved nations
Burnham said he had also discussed the principle of greater local devolution with the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales and with Northern Ireland's First and deputy First Ministers.
He acknowledged that the constitutional arrangements in the devolved nations are different from those in England, but said there was interest in exploring what more local models of devolution could look like.
The issue is due to be discussed at a special meeting of the National Economic Council next month.
Wider plan includes public control and local investment
The devolution announcement formed part of a broader Commons statement setting out Burnham's approach to economic growth and regional policy.
He said the Government's forthcoming 10-year plan for Britain would include proposals for stronger public control over essential services including water, energy and transport.
Burnham also promised to support areas seeking greater control over investment strategy and local industrial policy, drawing on approaches previously used in Greater Manchester.
Details of individual deals will now matter
The immediate significance of the announcement is that areas previously reluctant to adopt a mayoral model may now have another route to obtaining devolved powers.
However, the Government has not yet published the terms that non-mayoral areas would have to meet, the exact powers available under each model or a timetable for completing individual agreements.
Cornwall's negotiations are therefore likely to provide the first indication of how far the new flexible approach will differ from the mayor-led devolution model used across much of England to date.