Few of us anticipated that we would not be watching the throes of coalition negotiations, but instead the certainty of a Government programme, just one week after the General Election. But that is exactly where we are, with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, announcing the Government’s plan for a new City Devolution Bill in a speech delivered in Manchester.

In his speech the chancellor said a lot of things, including:

'This law will pave the way for Greater Manchester – and, importantly, other cities as well, to take greater control and responsibility over all the key things that make a city work, from transport and housing to skills, and key public services like health and social care.

'It means by the end of this year the legal framework will be set so that any city can proceed to implement a mayoral devolution deal.

'Greater Manchester has agreed to have a mayor as part of our Northern Powerhouse - and this new law will make that happen.

'My door now is open to any other major city who‎ wants to take this bold step into the future.