I'm not going to go through all the arguments about devolution yet again - Matthew Hicks and I profoundly disagree on the merits of the former deal and neither of us are going to change our mind.

However all these discussions have persuaded me to look again at the question of identity and how it that should be considered in policy making. 

And I've come to the conclusion that as a cultural identity Suffolk (and Norfolk) are nowhere near as important as the East Anglian region as a whole.

I know that council leaders in Norfolk didn't want any involvement from their Suffolk colleagues when an earlier devolution deal was considered.

But the fact is that many of us don't define ourselves by the counties we live in - it's the regional culture that is much more important.

I was born in Suffolk and have lived in the county all my life (except when I was at the UEA in Norwich which may explain some of my logic) but I've never felt that my identity is framed by my county.

We've now seen this county-based structure blown apart politically with the creation of the new Waveney Valley parliamentary seat that brings together towns like Diss, Eye, Harleston and Bungay in one constituency.

That's perfectly logical. People living on the county border pay no attention to which side of the River Waveney their home is.

As a regular visitor to North Norfolk and Norwich itself I feel quite a close identity with places like Cromer, Sheringham, and even Wells next the Sea.

I feel very little connection with Haverhill, Newmarket or even Sudbury. They may be in Suffolk but they are in a different part of Suffolk to that which I know well.

To be honest this identity spreads wider than Suffolk and Norfolk. Living in Ipswich we're not too far from the Essex border. There are connections with Harwich, Colchester and Clacton.

Of course Suffolk might try to claim "Constable Country" but in reality it extends to both banks of the Stour and its real jewel, Dedham, is in Essex.

This identity argument also extends in different directions - we have connections with places like Ely and Cambridge to the west although once you reach the A1 and the  East Coast Main  Line at Huntingdon  and  Peterborough the East Anglian feeling starts to disappear.

Last week I said a mayor for Suffolk and Norfolk would be better. On reflection what I really believe is that there is a cultural identity that links Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire and that really ought to be recognised  at a political level.

I know there will always be politicians who are anxious to protect their own personal powers and retain as much decision-making as possible for themselves.

But it really is time we had a real strategic, political structure to look at aspects of regional importance.

Last week I mentioned the A140 from Ipswich to Norwich - it's a road that  actually continues on to  Cromer.

But how about a single political body pushing for the rail improvements needed at Ely and Haughley to turn the cross-country route into a real mainline able to take hundreds of thousands of lorries off the A14. 

Talking of the A14. how about a single political body to push for improvements all the way from Felixstowe to Cambridge - and to do the same for the A12 from Ipswich to London?

I know there will be people in Ipswich saying they aren't worried about road links from Kings Lynn to Cambridge and councillors in Norfolk saying they don't want to worry about regeneration projects on the A14 corridor.

But if we are to have real devolution we need a new authority to have  a real strategic grip on the  whole of East Anglia. And to show the importance of the role it should probably be called a regional mayor!

The opinions expressed in this column are the personal views of Paul Geater and do not necessarily reflect views held by this newspaper, its sister publications or its owner and publisher Newsquest Media Group Ltd.