The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Legal advice sought over capital of culture veto
Five cities, including Dundee, press UK Government to challenge EC ruling
The leaders of five British cities who had been vowing to be named European Capital of Culture have questioned the legality of a decision to veto their bids.
Dundee’s bid was one of the five UK entries derailed by the controversial decision by the European Commission.
The decision was made based on the UK’s decision to leave the European Union.
Politicians across the country reacted with shock and dismay to the decision.
Now, Dundee City Council leader John Alexander as well as his counterparts from Leeds, Nottingham, Belfast and Milton Keynes have all urged the UK Government to seek further advice on the decision.
The call comes after a meeting this week between the five council leaders and the Government’s Department for Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS).
The letter, signed by the leaders of all five cities, states: “The meeting with DCMS was positive and we were encouraged by their commitment to try and resolve this issue with the European Commission and agree a clear way forward for the cities involved.
“We urged the department to continue its negotiations with the European Commission on the legitimacy of its latest decision.
“In particular, we wish to highlight that the announcement by the European Commission counters a very recent decision of the European Parliament in June 2017 and of the council in September 2017 which includes a calendar confirming the UK as the host country in 2023.
“In addition, we are seeking clarity given that the United Kingdom has not yet left the EU and the terms of that departure are not yet agreed.
“We have collectively therefore requested that DCMS takes further advice on the legal status of the announcement as a matter of urgency.”
The leaders say the much-maligned European Commission ruling has the potential to sink more than 100 cultural projects.
The co-signed brief said: “This sudden change of heart has the potential to disrupt well over 100 cultural collaborations across the continent which bidding cities have been developing in good faith.
“We all recognise the urgent need to reach a conclusion in a timescale that allows us to harness the momentum in our cities. Therefore, intensive and constructive discussions will continue over the coming weeks.”
All five chiefs also thanked members of the public and representatives from previous capital of culture winners for their kind words.
John Glen, UK minister for arts, heritage and tourism, said: “I am grateful to the five UK candidate cities for meeting with me and I have been really impressed by their commitment and the ambition of their plans.
“We will continue to work closely with them in the coming weeks.”