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It’s been a bumpy ride for Kent politics in the last few months with a major reorganisation of the county on the horizon and voters supposedly clamouring for change.

But will devolution bring the change that voters supposedly want or is it a case of style over substance?

Paul Francis reflects on a tumultuous few months and looks ahead to the key challenges that will set the scene for the county in the coming months.

Ten into four will go:

For Andrew Burnham, becoming PM with no histrionics or drama was exactly to plan as he laid out a devolution template for the country that could leave the county scrabbling for scraps ahead of the break-up of the county council and its replacement with four unitary authorities.

The transition won’t affect the provision of services immediately but the timetable for change is tight. New unitary authorities won’t actually start operating until 2028 - which may strike some as a fairly generous lead in time to the newly re-constituted county.

The minister in charge Steve Reed said the shake-up would create “stronger, more efficient councils that lay the foundation of real devolution and the economic growth will bring new jobs and opportunities to communities right across England.” If this kind of meaningless waffle frustrates you, don’t panic: you certainly won’t be alone.

But with a Prime Minister determined to re-shape the country so economic growth can be spread evenly rather than having a split in which different regions focus on different priorities,

Kent councils will have concerns about the possibility that devolution will not necessarily deliver the outcome for Kent and Medway need.

Wider public enthusiasm for devolution is hard to discern, with voters seemingly underwhelmed by the promise of modest increases in grants falling short of what is needed to overcome general disinterest and a vague antipathy. It’s certainly going to be a hard sell for voters.

Which seems a natural point to bring us on to the idea of an elected mayor for Kent - an idea that has previously been considered non-negotiable and led to councillors to issue a ‘fair warning’ if the government did not back off.

The issue of whether an elected mayor should be introduced is inconclusive and the government seems keener on promoting ‘higher profile’ new unitary authorities above anything else.

That doesn’t necessarily mean turning away from any cry for new structures - what it does underline is that the concept needs more explaining than it currently has had.

In Kent’s case, the mood music has changed subtly - reflecting the fact that antipathy remains but that does not mean options should be ignored.

A compelling case can be advanced, for example, for some kind of regional transfer of powers to someone to deal with the complex and labyrinthine transport infrastructure that makes the county unique.

From the M20, where Operation Brock’s nerve centre resides; through to Eurostar, Eurotunnel, Dover docks, the new crossing over the Thames and the ever-present Manston Airport, whose hopes of a second coming may be growing in confident as the clock tick-tocks.

But there is one nut that has proved much harder to crack: the ceaseless number of irregular migrants crossing the Channel. Government officials have welcomed a drop in the numbers but many more continue to try their luck.

It will be fascinating to see if some of the shine which has coated the Reform party is rubbing off: Nigel Farage is - if polls are to be believed - no longer the asset he was.

Paul Francis was political editor of the KM Group for three decades.