John Prescott today launched a progress report on the regeneration of eight key cities outside London. The Tale of Eight Cities, launched alongside the Egan Skills Review, sets out the cities’ progress in terms of local leadership, economic performance, city centre renaissance, housing conditions and quality of life. "We need to learn from what works best to build on this progress in all our towns and cities," said the deputy prime minister. “What is evident is that where local authorities share a vision and take responsibility for delivering it, the result is the creation of genuinely sustainable communities. Nowhere is this more evident than in our eight core cities, where visionary civic leaders have brought about a quiet revolution. "Whether it's Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle or any of our core cities, there has been a transformation in people's quality of life. In these cities the urban renaissance is gathering pace.” A full report is due to be published in 2005.