The document discusses the declining role of regions and the potential new role for cities in England and Europe. Key points include: 1) Regions are losing powers across Europe as central governments consolidate control, while cities are generally ignored in policymaking. 2) In England, the 2010 election led to the abolition of regional institutions like development agencies and strategic planning. 3) There is a lack of strong evidence that artificial regional boundaries reflect real economic geographies and functions. Studies show cities and their surrounding areas are more meaningful scales for policy. 4) A new Minister for Cities in the UK will initially focus on Core Cities and city-regions but it remains unclear if there is political will for genuine administrative