Today, the Lord Mayor of London’s Square Mile, Jeffrey Mountevans, began his year-long programme of regional mayoral visits with a trip to Belfast. The Lord Mayor, who took office for the one year position in November, has already visited Malta as part of his programme of European engagement.

During his trip he will attend a business meeting with Invest Northern Ireland, a dinner at the Titanic Centre, and a breakfast roundtable hosted by financial services firm Citi. He will also pay a courtesy call to the Mayor of Derry-Londonderry, and meet the organisers of the CultureTECH festival while in the city.

Every year the Lord Mayor of the City of London travels overseas for around 100 days and this year will visit 28 countries selling UK Plc and UK financial and professional services to key international markets. In this capacity, the Lord Mayor acts as the representative for financial services across the UK, not just in London. To ensure that they are fully aware of the challenges and opportunities facing different regional centres, the Lord Mayor visits a number of important regional cities to help build ties with local business communities during their mayoral year. Later this year the Lord Mayor will also visit the regional hubs of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Leeds, York, Durham and Sheffield.

Speaking ahead of his visit, Lord Mayor Mountevans said:

“I am delighted that my first regional visit this year will be to Belfast. It’s a strategically important centre for the UK in which the financial and professional services community plays a key role, supporting over 31,000 jobs and providing £2bn (7.4%) of regional GVA and 4.5% of regional employment. I hope that my visit will help build the ties that can generate growth in both our regions. Success for Belfast is success for London too.”

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About the City of London Corporation 

About the City of London Corporation

The City of London Corporation provides local government and policing services for the financial and commercial heart of Britain, the 'Square Mile'. In addition, the City Corporation has three roles:

• We support London’s communities by working in partnership with neighbouring boroughs on economic regeneration, education and skills projects. In addition, the City of London Corporation’s charity City Bridge Trust makes grants of more than £15 million annually to charitable projects across London and we also support education with three independent schools, three City Academies, a primary school and the world-renowned Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

• We also help look after key London’s heritage and green spaces including Tower Bridge, Museum of London, Barbican Arts Centre, City gardens, Hampstead Heath, Epping Forest, Burnham Beeches, and important ‘commons’ in south London.

• We also support and promote the ‘City’ as a world-leading financial and business hub, with outward and inward business delegations, high-profile civic events and research-driven policies all reflecting a long-term approach.

About the Lord Mayor of the City of London

• The Lord Mayor is head of the Square Mile’s City of London authority for one year and the position is unpaid and apolitical. It is an exceptionally demanding role. The Lord Mayor spends some 90 days abroad and addresses some 10,000 people face-to-face each month (making around 800 speeches a year).
• The Lord Mayor represents City businesses and helps the City Corporation advise the Government of the day on what is needed to help the financial services sector to function well. The Lord Mayor frequently travels to represent the City; and travels overseas with the status of a Cabinet Minister.
• The Lord Mayor meets several international Heads of Government and Business each month to discuss financial services, often in conjunction with senior City business representatives. The Lord Mayor lives in the Mansion House for the Mayoral year.

See www.cityoflondon.gov.uk for more details.