LIVERPOOL'S directly elected mayor will sit in a Downing Street “Cabinet” chaired by David Cameron, it was revealed.

The prime minister yesterday pledged to hold regular meetings of all England's mayors, around the Cabinet table, to allow them to swap ideas and lobby ministers for extra powers.

The announcement was immediately seen as a powerful carrot for England's other big cities to vote “yes” in referendums to be staged on May 3.

That is the date when Liverpool will elect its mayor, after the Labour-led council opted to switch to having a directly-elected leader without the public having a say.

Speaking at No 10, Mr Cameron said: "I want to establish a Cabinet of mayors and I would chair its first meeting.

“I want, when we have a good number of mayors around the country, to bring them together so we can swop ideas and experience and initiatives.

"We can really make sure that central government is not just helping to deliver these referendums, but is also going to deliver extra powers, extra resources to those cities and to those mayors, so they can get even more things done."

Calling for a string of “yes” votes on May 3, Mr Cameron said mayors would "change the political culture of Britain, with more great leaders in our cities, more economic dynamism".