All eyes will be on the Chancellor on 3 December, as he delivers his final Autumn Statement ahead of the 2015 General Election.

The Centre for Cities will be watching to see if the unprecedented recognition we have seen across the political spectrum this year around the importance of cities to the national economy, and the ensuing raft of policy and funding announcements, will receive yet another boost from the chancellor.

For his part, the chancellor has been at the forefront of the cities movement over recent months: through his ‘Northern Powerhouse’ speech, which pledged to support northern cities to drive greater prosperity across the region; in indicating his support for major inter-city transport investment projects; and in announcing a devolution settlement, which included the introduction of a metro-mayor, for Greater Manchester.