Introducing a 鈥渕etro-mayor鈥 would make it 鈥渆asier鈥 to devolve power and cash to regions such as the West Midlands, David Cameron has said.
But the Prime Minister insisted there was no 鈥渙n-size-fits-all鈥 model for local government, and Birmingham and its neighbours would be free to decide for themselves how they should be governed.
Mr Cameron was speaking to The Birmingham Post following the announcement that including control over a 拢300 million housing fund, responsibility for local transport, more responsibility for business support and 拢30 million a year from local business taxes, to be spent initially on a new tram extension.
The package, worth around 拢1 billion in total, was approved by the Government after councils agreed to create a new Greater Manchester mayor, with an election due in 2017.
Mr Cameron said his Government was determined to help the Midlands and North reach their full potential and believed mayors could play a role.
But he accepted that voters in cities such as Birmingham had rejected the offer of a mayor in a referendum in 2012, but said mayors had been successful where they were introduced.
He said: 鈥淚鈥檓 a big believer that mayors can help drive industrial and regional regeneration.鈥
The Prime Minister said Greater Manchester鈥檚 decision to create a mayor had helped make a deal possible.
鈥淏asically the view here is that the more you can have really strong accountability the easier it is to devolve more money and powers and I think that鈥檚 why such a big step forward has been made with the idea of the metro-mayor. So I think it鈥檚 opened up a lot of extra possibilities.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not imposing anything. It鈥檚 the councils of Greater Manchester that have come together and, with the government, set out a new course for Greater Manchester.鈥
But asked whether Birmingham or the West Midlands would need to elect a mayor to win a similar deal, he said: 鈥淲e don鈥檛 believe in one size fits all. It鈥檚 very important to make that point.
鈥淭here are differences. Birmingham for instance, as a very large city council area, is very different to Manchester city council and its relations with the surrounding authorities.鈥
He added: 鈥淚 think every city will want to work out the best way of increasing accountability and increasing local power and there鈥檚 not one size that fits all.
鈥淏irmingham is a very different city council area to Manchester so I don鈥檛 think all the same arguments apply.鈥
Mr Cameron highlighted the 拢357.4m 鈥淟ocal Growth Deal鈥 announced by the Government in July, which includes funding to improve skills, particularly to ensure the automotive and medical technology sectors have the skilled employees they need, and to improve local transport links to help the region make the most of HS2, as well as an earlier 鈥淐ity Deal鈥 agreed in 2012.
He said: 鈥淭he meetings I鈥檝e had with city councillors and leaders in Birmingham is they are happy with the growth deal, the city deal, happy with the massive investment going into Birmingham - I saw for myself the transformation that鈥檚 taking place at New Street station.
鈥淲e鈥檝e seen huge projects like he Birmingham library.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of transformation and investment taking place in Birmingham and we want to keep that going.鈥
Cameron: I'm not ashamed to be posh
Labour鈥檚 attempts to brand the Tories as 鈥減osh鈥 would not impress voters, Mr Cameron said as he spoke to The Birmingham Post
Asked about Labour鈥檚 attacks, he said: 鈥淟abour have been going on and on about this and I don鈥檛 think people identify with it.鈥
He could not change who he was - and had always been proud of his parents, Mr Cameron said.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 re-invent who I am or where I went to school or what my parents did.
鈥淚鈥檓 incredibly proud of my parents.
鈥淭hey put a huge amount of effort into bringing me up and giving me a good start in life and i love what they did for me.
鈥淎nd you can鈥檛 change who you are and I鈥檝e never tried to.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 try and pretend I鈥檓 something different or have a different background or different upbringing. I don鈥檛 change my voice or anything. I am who I am.鈥
He added: 鈥淚 think on the whole people basically want to know what鈥檚 your plan, what鈥檚 your vision, have you done the things you said you鈥檇 do? Is the country getting better under your leadership?鈥
Ed Balls annoys me, admits David Cameron
In an admission which will only encourage his tormenter, David Cameron revealed that Ed Balls succeeds in getting under his skin.
Mr Balls, the Shadow Chancellor, visibly does his best to wind up the Prime Minister in the House of Commons, pulling faces, muttering corrections to the Prime Minister鈥檚 answers and performing hand gestures designed to suggest that the economy is 鈥渇latlining鈥.
Mr Cameron said: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know why I let it annoy me but he鈥檚 just so annoying.
鈥淚鈥檝e spoken to him - privately I have a had a civilised conversation with him, once or twice.
鈥淏ut in the House of Commons, well he knows it annoys me so he keeps doing it.鈥澛犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅
