AS 6 City Regions in across England welcome new directly elected metro mayors, ACCA UK (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) says they will have a crucial role in creating regional powerhouses for economic growth and development.

John Williams, Head of ACCA UK, says:- "Whilst Brexit and the general election have dominated headlines, these new mayors represent an equally important step for powering economic growth. The response from our members has been clear: firms around the country are in desperate need of better digital and transport connectivity, and strong links between the business community and education to equip the workforce with the skills needed to flourish in a 21st Century global landscape.  The new metro mayors will be in a unique position to help deliver solutions to these issues through building strong link between City Regions, including connections with major financial centres, within London, Cardiff, Glasgow and Edinburgh. They also have a major role to play in tackling the national skills gap: both directly through Apprenticeships Grants but also throw showing leadership in building links between business and education, through initiatives such as Local Enterprise Partnerships, to ensure young people are getting access to the training and opportunities they need to thrive. With many mayors talking up their ambitions to building digital infrastructure and create a new generation of smart Cities, they will also need smart professionals behind them providing guidance and insight. The Mayoral elections represent an important milestone in the devolution agenda, but for devolution to work effectively local administrations must be given more, if not total, control over local public finances. This will be critical in enabling incoming mayors to tackle local challenges.  ACCA welcomes the new mayors to their roles and look forward to directly working with them to address local and national needs."