PRIME Minister Tony Blair today hailed the "quiet revolution" that has helped transform Manchester.
During a tour of local housing estates, the PM said that the changes brought about by "people power" are a remarkable example to others of building a modern, prosperous city.
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was also in Manchester to launch his five-year vision for regeneration across Britain. The visits mark the start of a three-day conference in the city that will make it the centre of international attention.
Chancellor Gordon Brown and Home Secretary Charles Clarke are also confirmed delegates.
Mr Blair said the way Manchester has been redeveloped demonstrates that the government should give more "power to the people" to make local decisions, rather than handing down blueprints from Whitehall.
"We've seen the success of the quiet revolution in places like Manchester and Newcastle which shows the success of transferring power to the people," Mr Blair said.
"The prosperity we are enjoying nationally has been driven in part by the prosperity of cities like Manchester, including developments in places like Wythenshawe, and the redevelopment of city centres."
Questions
He also promised that if he wins a third term in government he will transfer more power, and civil service jobs, to local communities.
Later the prime minister was due to meet readers of the Manchester Evening News face-to-face to answer their questions on local and national issues.
Mr Prescott was meanwhile due to launch his "sustainable communities" plan today. The document will focus on building civic pride and cover everything from the environment and transport to parks, local services and anti-social behaviour.
Mr Prescott will outline plans to give local communities more power in partnership with their local authorities.
Mr Prescott will say he is committed to giving communities the chance to take new powers through so-called "neighbourhood charters".
The launch marks the start of the Sustainable Communities summit being held in a special conference village around the G-Mex, Manchester International Conference Centre and Bridgewater Hall.
Sustainable communities are areas where people want to live because of good schools, a good transport network, local shops and amenities, and low crimes rates.
The event will include major speeches, site visits to places like east Manchester, Salford and Hulme, and dozens of fringe meetings on everything from Metrolink to the "24-hour city".
Other guests will include London mayor Ken Livingstone, author Bill Bryson and Danuta Huebner, EU commissioner for the regions. The event is likely to be worth '1.5m to the Manchester economy.
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'Sustainable communities are areas where people want to live because of good schools, a good transport network, local shops and amenities, and low crimes rates.'
I think sustainable communities are so much more than this that the above is a joke. Sustainable communities are about sustainability - not over-using resources and ensuring our generation leaves the environment in at least a good state for the next generation as when we inherited it.
The government lauds Manchester at it's people power & communities yet vetoes funding for the Metro to sustain the transformation! Joined up government, or a London-centric party patronising the provinces?
Labour have always been the better government for promoting social justice. The next stage that the people of the North West must consider is allowing themselves access to a powerful body that would empower them to have some contribution to the development of the North West. This comes in the form of a regional government and/or regional representation. I challenge people to seriously read around the issue and not to just dismiss a good idea out of ignorance like the people of the North East have already done. Scotland and Wales fought for a long time to be represented independently and they did not do it all out of sheer national pride.