Local government secretary, Ruth Kelly, has held out the prospect of increasing city region powers over transport – provided metropolitan and city authorities can agree to ‘new governance arrangements.’ Kelly, speaking at the core cities summit in Bristol this week, indicated that she agreed on the need for cities and regions to be given ‘devolved strategic powers’. The core cities, such as Leeds, Newcastle, Nottingham and Bristol, had made a particularly ‘strong case’ on the need for strengthening transport powers in their business cases on requirements to deliver a step change in economic performance. But such devolution would mean councils agreeing on new governance arrangements – interpreted by some as London-style mayors – so that there was ‘a clear mandate for taking decisions across a city or metropolitan area’. While England’s regional cities have ‘turned the corner, they are not yet leaders in their class by international standards’. There was a need to strengthen local leadership ‘if we are to compete as a nation,’ which included getting governance over the right spatial area. She highlighted the success of London devolution on transport delivery. The forthcoming local government White Paper, the Lyons inquiry into local government, and the Government’s sub-national economic growth and regeneration review could pave the way for a major shake-up. The Local Government Association has pushed for the alternative solution of strengthening the governance of passenger transport authorities in advance of more transport powers to be devolved to them. This would allow the creation of Transport for London-style bodies with powers over strategic roads. And Bristol city leader Cllr Barbara Janke, addressing the conference before Kelly spoke, stressed that residents of her city had twice rejected campaigns for an elected major. She said: ‘A mayor may be the right solution for London, but it does not mean it is the answer for us all.’