YORK and North Yorkshire’s new Labour Metro Mayor David Skaith has pledged to make affordable housing, transport and jobs skills training his top priorities to bring the region the 'change we need'.

The York businessman was speaking after sweeping to victory in the election for the region’s first-ever directly-elected Mayor.

Speaking immediately after the declaration at the Harrogate Convention Centre this afternoon, he told The Press: "I have said from the beginning that we have to be building affordable homes.

"We haven't been doing the basics enough. We haven't been building affordable homes, creating a transport system that works for all, and training and giving the skills to the next generation of our workforce."

On transport, he pledged to work with the Labour mayors of West and South Yorkshire and with Manchester and Liverpool to improve transport across the region, east to west.

He said what was needed was a 'whole northern powerhouse of transport, being able to move people east to West and all through Yorkshire.'

Mr Skaith defeated Labour rival Keane Duncan by almost 15,000 votes, picking up 66,761 votes to Mr Duncan's 51, 967. Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe-Lister came third with 30,867 votes.

Turnout for the election was 29.89 per cent.

Mr Skaith will officially take up his new role on Tuesday, immediately after the May bank holiday.

The businessman, who is the owner of Winston’s of York men’s clothing store and a former chair of the York High Street Forum, admitted in a pre-election column in The Press that he was ‘not from a polished political background’.

But he added: “The role of York and North Yorkshire Mayor seemed like the perfect opportunity for someone who is driven by wanting to achieve real change for this region and that’s why I was drawn to it.”

He said that York and North Yorkshire had a ‘wonderful blend of villages, towns and cities’ and that his aim as new Mayor would be to ‘help build our communities and put people first’.

"For years we have seen vital services cut, not enough houses built, transport becoming inadequate, community spaces closed, lack of quality jobs created, our farming and agriculture sectors suffering, and not enough emphasis put into reducing our carbon output,” he wrote.

"Spending many years working closely with individuals and organisations in York and North Yorkshire has given me the insights into how we can move forward and reach our fullest potential.

"I have a plan to unlock that potential by connecting all our communities with a new integrated transport system that allows for better reliable, affordable public transport right across our region.”

He also made a pledge on affordable housing – and on adult education and skills training.

"Part of unlocking our region’s potential is delivering the truly affordable homes that York and North Yorkshire so badly needs, allowing people to build a life here,” he wrote.

"We will do this by using the initial £12.7 million to fund the building of new homes on brownfield sites, in conjunction with using new powers over the Adult Education Budget to train our work force in the skills they need to have well paid and sustainable jobs in our region.

"A new way of doing things is possible and it’s now time to deliver for the people of York and North Yorkshire."

Now the time for promises is over. From Tuesday, the new Mayor will have to begin delivering.