Oxford would have stood a better chance of being allowed to run all services in the city had plans not involved breaking up the county council, Oxford East MP Andrew Smith has said.

Last week, the council's bid to do so was thrown out by the Government, mainly because they were too costly.

The plans also included the break-up of the rest of the county and the creation of councils in the north and south of Oxfordshire.

But Mr Smith said had Oxford submitted plans for a so-called "doughnut bid" - an Oxford unitary council surrounded by one for the rest of the county, it would have stood a better chance of succeeding.

Ipswich, Exeter and Norwich - who worked on their bids with Oxford and who all otherwise submitted doughnut bids - made it on to the shortlist of 16 prospective unitary councils. Mr Smith said: "There is a feeling that if Ipswich, Exeter and Norwich got it on that basis, Oxford would have done as well. It's not the end of the story, it is a setback but I feel Oxford would be better off as a unitary authority.

"Replacing the county council with three unitaries would have involved the abolition of an excellent authority and replacing it with a question mark."

The Department for Communities and Local Government said Oxford's bid stood a "reasonable likelihood" of having a cross section of support, delivering leadership and engagement.

But they said it stood "little likelihood" of demonstrating affordability or service delivery.

It said the city element of the bid was convincing, but that there was an "absence of detail" in the north and south Oxfordshire proposals.

Labour city councillor Antonia Bance said: "I'm really cross at the news that despite a really strong bid, there will not be one single unitary authority for the city of Oxford."

City chief executive Brian Dinsdale said he disputed the affordability criteria because the costs had been independently calculated.

County council leader Keith Mitchell has called for an "enhanced" working relationship with the city.