Capital of Culture snub being tackled by ministers

MINISTERS are in “urgent talks” with the European Commission over a decision to exclude UK cities from entering the European Capital of Culture event.

First Secretary of State Damian Green told MPs the decision was “extremely disappointing”.

Five UK bids were competing to host the 2023 European Capital of Culture, spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on their entries. A joint Belfast-Londonderry-Strabane bid and the cities of Nottingham, Leeds, Milton Keynes and Dundee were all in the running for the accolade — which has the potential to provide a major economic boost.

During Prime Minister’s Questions, SNP MP Patrick Grady said: “The United Kingdom has lost its seat in the court of justice, EU agencies are pulling out of London and there’ll be no more European Capitals of Culture in the UK. Is the sun setting on Empire 2.0 before it’s even begun?”

Mr Green replied: “It’s not surprising really that EU institutions are not going to be in a state that is not a member of the EU, that can’t come as a surprise to him. On the capitals of culture I rather agree with him, I think it’s extremely disappointing that after they’d let British cities ask to apply to be part of the process, the commission decided that they couldn’t.

“We are in urgent talks with the commission about that and in particular we’re making sure that all those cities who applied can continue with their cultural development — because cultural development has been shown to be an extremely good basis for the regeneration of cities and towns across the UK.”