Gordon Brown announced plans earlier this year to hold more meetings away from Whitehall and in September took his top team to Birmingham.

Before this afternoon's meeting, cabinet ministers were dispatched across the region to carry out a series of high profile visits and meetings.

Business leaders from the city were invited to breakfast with Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper and Universities Secretary John Denham.

Leeds: YEP live webchat with Yvette Cooper - FRIDAY 1PM CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

Housing minister Margaret Beckett was viewing the Easel regeneration project in Gipton, where East Leeds MP George Mudie was hoping to persuade her to bring forward regeneration cash for the site.

He said: "The main point is that we have cleared sites and are able to build quickly so if the government wants some of this money spent quickly, then east Leeds should be the place."

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham was at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, where he was meeting its director Peter Murray and the bosses from the Yorkshire Tourist Board; while Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell was also in Wakefield, visiting an employment centre.

Environment Secretary and Leeds Central MP Hilary Benn was visiting the Meanwood Valley Urban Farm.

He said: "The choice of our city shows its importance to the Yorkshire and Humberside region."

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears was in Harehills meeting occupants of the Shine Centre.

International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander was meeting a group in west Leeds.

A group of Tory activists dressed as Father Christmas and holding signs emblazoned with "Labour's Tax Bombshell" greeted cabinet ministers at Leeds train station.