Ruth Kelly and Gordon Brown are on the same track when it comes to city regions, says ex-local government minister, Chris Leslie, commenting on last week's Manchester speech by Ed Balls

When – earlier this year – I, together with with treasury ministers Ed Balls and John Healey, laid out a report on new thinking about the direction of regional policy for England, there were some predictable reactions from those sceptical of any talk of regionalism (see The MJ, 20 July).