Cameron's plans for a Manchester Mayor
I was invited to my first Downing Street reception last night - drinks for the regional media.
Apart from enjoying the grandeur of Number Ten, it gave me the chance to get a couple of minutes with .
The Prime Minister told me the government is pressing on enthusiastically with plans for an elected Mayor for Manchester and other cities.
The Conservatives have long been keen on the idea. They believe a charismatic figure like London's Boris Johnson would revive local government elsewhere.
But surprisingly Mr Cameron said for the first time that ministers have not ruled out the option of an elected mayor for all of Greater Manchester, not just the city. Until now we had been told they had.
Presumably this is the case for other city regions like Merseyside too.
Most experts believe that if we head down the elected mayor route, it should be a figure for Greater Manchester. Someone who can give the region a voice and a strategic grip. A genuinely new role.
For reasons I have never really understood, the Conservatives have been hostile to that. Even yesterday David Cameron was sceptical, arguing that people in places like Bury do not share a sense of identity with people in the city.
That may be true but it is being considered ... and arguably makes much more sense.
Voters themselves have never shown much enthusiasm for any of the options. One campaign has struggled to win support.
But the chances are voters will have to make a choice in a referendum for something.
If you're interested in political issues in the North West, this could be the blog for you. I'm Arif Ansari the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s political editor in the region, covering controversy from Cheshire to South Cumbria.
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