WE READ with interest the recommendation to set up two city regions in Wales.

A panel of experts chaired by Dr Elizabeth Haywood, the former head of the CBI in Wales, says city regions are needed as economic drivers for the whole country.

The report runs to 75 pages but, basically, the argument runs something like this.

Large cities are more successful at driving the economy than small ones because they have more clout.

Welsh cities aren’t big enough to have this power and, as a result, have underperformed for many years.

The experts argue the best solution is to create two city regions, one centred on Swansea and another on Cardiff, taking in Newport, Torfaen, Merthyr, Bridgend and surrounding areas.

These will then have the people, skills, and potential customers to make them more attractive to investors.

From an economic point of view a lot of the report makes perfect sense.

Although we do wonder what would happen to Monmouthshire which appears to be left out of the proposed city region.

However, our main concern is whether there could ever be the political will to make these regions work.

Power would have to be ceded from local authorities.

Further, there would have to be assurances Newport would maintain its identity if it were to become part of a region focused on the capital.