Economic justice call
A UK TRADE union leader will call on the Catholic Church to join an alliance for economic justice when she delivers a speech at the Vatican today.
Frances O’Grady, TUC general secretary, left, will say: “We can build an alliance for economic justice around the world.” UK POLITICIANS have reacted with fury after Brussels ruled that a UK city will not be eligible to become the European Capital of Culture after Brexit.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was “absolutely dismayed” by the decision, while the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said it was “deeply disappointed”.
The European Commission said the decision was “one of the many concrete consequences” of Brexit.
Five different UK bids were competing to host the 2023 European Capital of Culture and officials said urgent discussions were being held with Brussels about the apparent Brexit ban. Nottingham, Leeds, Milton Keynes, Dundee and a joint Belfast-Londonderry-Strabane bid were all in the running for the accolade.
At First Minister’s Questions in Holyrood, Ms Sturgeon said: “I’m absolutely dismayed by the news that I’ve heard this morning from the European Commission that Dundee’s European Capital of Culture bid looks as if it is going to be the latest victim of the Tories’ obsession with taking this country out of the European Union against our will, and they should hang their heads in shame.”
She added: “It is now deeply concerning that the amount of time, effort and expense that Dundee have put into scoping out their bid could be wasted thanks to the Brexit policy of this Tory Government.”
Iain Stewart, Tory MP for Milton Keynes South, said it “seems a very bitter decision” by the European Commission as “we are not turning our backs on Europe yet this looks like they are turning their backs on us”.
DUP MEP for Northern Ireland Diane Dodds said: “This is needless and spiteful posturing by the commission. In spite of the assurances that they will not act in malice or attempt to punish the UK, here we have an example of the schoolboy pettiness we have come to expect from Brussels.”
Shadow culture secretary Tom Watson described the commission’s decision as a “great shame” and said some cities have already spent up to £500,000 on their bids.
He said: “The Government must now explain how they intend to ensure that Brexit does not leave us culturally isolated from Europe and how the economic and cultural benefits that accompany the European Capital of Culture will be maintained.”
A European Commission spokesman said: “The decision to nominate Hungary and the UK as hosts of the European Capitals of Culture for 2023 was taken by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers in 2014, two years before the UK decided to leave the EU.
“As one of the many concrete consequences of that UK decision, UK participation is no longer possible.”
The commission said the only countries eligible to host the culture capital were EU member states, candidates to join the EU or countries in EFTA/EEA that participate in the Creative Europe programme.