More broadly, the English should welcome a decentralisation of power that may help to invigorate peripheral parts of Britain.

ECONOMIST: Britain��s welcome devolution

More decentralisation of power from Westminster to the regions of England.

BBC: News | UK Politics | Charles Kennedy's speech in full

The plan proposed by Mr Vande Lanotte would see a further decentralisation of power to Belgium's regions, split between the Dutch-speaking Flemish population and French-speaking Walloons.

BBC: Belgian mediator resigns over government deadlock

In office this vague idea has formalised into radical decentralisation: handing power to parents to run schools, to general practitioners to run the NHS, to local voters to pick police commissioners.

ECONOMIST: Reforming the state

The Lib Dems are opposed to the proposals, with health spokesman Evan Harris stressing that "they fail to provide real decentralisation" and "will not put power back into the hands of doctors, nurses or patients".

BBC: Blair 'passionate' on hospital reform

Running parallel to the coalition's austerity programme is a bold plan for decentralisation: more elected city mayors, more people power in areas such as education, the NHS and policing, and unprecedented transparency and openness in the state.

ECONOMIST: The Conservatives' new divide

But decentralisation, deregulation and a huge infrastructure boom have boosted demand for power, and China's economy is now becoming more, not less, energy-intensive.

ECONOMIST: Anti-hero