Mr Brown also promised to make "major announcements" on the government's City Academies programme in his Budget this Wednesday.

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And he pledged to champion "greater diversity" in education, adding he "applauded" city academies and wanted to make it easier to expand them.

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Mr Blunkett has announced the first three city academies, but two of these are in London, and only one in the provinces, in Liverpool.

ECONOMIST: English cities