Answers sought on culture U-turn

THE head of Leisure and Culture Dundee has travelled to London in search of answers as to what went wrong with the European Capital of Culture 2023 bid.

Director Stewart Murdoch, who was part of the bid team due to pitch to the UK Government today, will instead meet representatives of the European Commission and the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to discuss why the city was allowed to continue with its bid following the Brexit vote.

Teams from five cities — Nottingham, Milton Keynes, Leeds and a j oint Belfast-Derry-Strabane partnership — had been assured by DCMS their bids to become European Capital of Culture would not be affected.

That proved not to be the case on Thursday, when the European Commission wrote to DCMS to inform it that, because of Brexit, no UK cities could be considered.

Councillor John Alexander, SNP administration leader, addressed Dundee City Council members last night to inform them of what steps were now being taken.

Mr Alexander moved to reassure councillors that the efforts made by the bid team and the local authority in preparation for the Capital of Culture competition would not go to waste.

He said: “On the back of the disappointment of last week’s announcement regarding the Capital of Culture bid we are all now acutely aware of what has happened, but there are still details about exactly why it happened to come forward.

“We are seeking direct action both from the European Commission and the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

“Stewart Murdoch is in London this week as part of these discussions and I hope to keep all members briefed.

“I have heard and looked at all of the feedback sent to me following last Thursday’s announcement.

“The hard work which has gone in will not go to waste and we will work to develop something, the details of which will come to light over the next weeks and months.”

The details of both the bid document and what would have been pitched to DCMS are being kept tightly under guard, in case any progress is made following the discussions, according to a source close to the Dundee 2023 team.

PETER Capaldi’s Time Lord is seen standing alongside his former self in a newly-released Doctor Who photo. Capaldi’s final outing as the 12th Doctor has been teased in the image which shows him standing in an Arctic snowscape alongside the first Doctor (David Bradley) and assistant Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie).

Stewart Murdoch