Today, as part of the Global Parliament of Mayors Summit, leaders and mayors from 18 of the major UK cities and regions met in Bristol. This is the first time the UK’s combined authorities and Core Cities have all joined together.

This historic meeting included Andy Burnham from Greater Manchester, Steve Rotheram from Merseyside and Andy Street from West Midlands. Also present was James Murray, Deputy Mayor of London.

We agreed to meet again and work together to press government for the devolution we need to be able to deliver for our citizens.

We are one of the most centralised countries in the world with around 70% of all public spending being allocated by central government. There have been improvements but our productivity is still too low and keeping our cities growing is an issue of national economic significance. Our cities and regions have a positive story to tell but we need more power in order to proactively defend our interests.

If we are going to be more resilient economically as a country we, the cities and the regions, need more power to affect change and improve lives for the people of this country so we can whether any changes which might be on the horizon.

The UK is at a pivotal point and as the government moves towards its spending review we are looking to create real change in the way the country is run. As city leaders and regional mayors we are at the forefront of delivering change to our residents and know what works.