Blame a million Scots for Dundee’s failure in European Capital of Culture bid

The attempt by Dundee to become European Capital of Culture in 2023 is a casualty of Brexit which, we must remember, was the choice of well over a million Scots.

Dundee’s bid organisers had continued with their plans despite the referendum result however, the rules of the competition, updated in 2014, are perfectly clear. It’s open to member states and as the UK has indicated it is leaving the single market, it doesn’t fit into any of the specified categories. Sadly, it appears we cannot have our cake and eat it!

(REV DR) JOHN CAMERON

Howard Place, St Andrews

Some people may have felt, wrongly in my view, that the European Commission can display an almost insufferable degree of arrogance. Its detractors have been given more ammunition by the sudden decision to eliminate a number of UK cities, including Dundee, from the European Capital of Culture 2023 bids.

It seems arrogant because it assumes an awful lot about how the current negotiations on withdrawal from the European Union will actually develop.

How can it possibly assume that the UK will sever all links with the EU at that point? In the past, bids by cities in noneu (but Efta-affiliated) countries, like Iceland and Norway, have been successful largely because of that affiliation. It is quite possible the UK will remain a member of the European Economic Area, and this makes the mean-minded decision by the Commission all the more puzzling.

It is also worrying. In a digital age, perhaps we should not be too concerned about cries of isolationism from any quarter. Nevertheless, cultural links, which range from town-twinning arrangements to major artistic events, have played a significant part in promoting understanding and encouraging dialogue rather than division.

It is not being melodramatic to say that the Commission’s decision is the start of a reverse process in promoting that co-operation. It is not just Nato and the trading policies that the EU has encouraged in the last 60 years that has kept the peace and avoided conflict in western Europe. It is the thousands of acts of liaison by voluntary, charitable and cultural groups that have helped underpin it. Their commitment and imagination has been cut across by a Commission more intent on making political points than ensuring goodwill and trust in the postbrexit era.

BOB TAYLOR

Shiel Court, Glenrothes

With regard to the European Capital of Culture 2023 fiasco, it appears the facts have once again got in the way of another anti-eu story.

The application process is fully transparent and states the title is only available to cities from member states and candidate countries. In 2017 this was extended to include cities in EEA/EFTA countries. Until 2010 any European city, whether part of any EU member state or not, was eligible, which explains Reykjavik 2000, Stavanger 2008 and Turkey 2010.

In their pack for UK applicant cities the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport included a Brexit Impact Study which stated that bidding cities should be aware the title may be subject to the outcome of leaving negotiations.

All this information has been and is still readily available for public scrutiny, let alone the officials from Dundee and others who seem to have failed in their due diligence. I appreciate that not even the UK Government appears to know what they intend for our future prospects but it now seems obvious that any deep and meaningful relationship does not include full EU, EEA/ EFTA membership or candidature in 2023.

The council tax payers of Dundee should be thankful to the EU for alerting them to this potential for another unintended consequence of Brexit before further wasted effort and funds were committed.

GRAHAM HAY

Player Green Livingston, West Lothian