With perfect timing, albeit unplanned, the English Core Cities Group launched its devolution declaration in London on the same day last week that George Osborne announced a Cities Devolution Bill in Manchester offering English cities more powers over housing, transport, planning and policing.

There was a catch to the Chancellor’s offer; only cities with a directly elected mayor would get the extra responsibilities. The merit or not of this clause was one of the subjects discussed among core city leaders at a lunchtime discussion organised by The MJ and supported by PwC after the London launch event.

Those cities with elected mayors were understandably more relaxed about the Osborne offer. Liverpool’s elected mayor Joe Anderson said it was up to the cities to take it or leave it. Manchester, as part of its Combined Authority deal with the Treasury, after all had opted for an elected mayor even though a referendum two years previously had already rejected the idea.

Mayor Anderson said that his direct connection with the electorate meant that ‘when I speak, I speak with authority.’ Bristol’s independent mayor George Ferguson added: ‘There’s an element of political gameplaying but I welcome the Manchester deal.’