Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove says he wants to give Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham a guaranteed funding pot to spend as he wishes to help end the 'begging bowl' culture where local leaders are forced to bid for vital investment.
Speaking to The Northern Agenda politics newsletter at the Convention of the North in Manchester, the senior Tory said giving mayors like Labour's Mr Burnham more powers over their own finances was "absolutely the direction of travel".
The Levelling Up Department and Greater Manchester officials are in the final stages of talks over a 'trailblazer' devolution deal which would give the mayor - and Tory Andy Street in the West Midlands - more powers than any other outside London.
