No done deal

A storm of outrage has followed the news of Dundee’s bid to be nominated as European City of Culture, being denied by the EU. The blame, of course, is being ascribed to Westminster and the Tory Government.

The City of Culture bid was always a bag of nonsense. A silly vainglorious project in a silly labelling scheme that has no benefits guaranteed.

Think about it for a minute. The UK would be competing against 27 other Member States, plus those countries seeking to join the EU.

Dundee has no track-record of a “City of Culture” within the UK and the entire costbenefit equation seems to have been invented on the back of a fag packet, so typical

of SNP research analysis and prognosis.

Iftheaimhereistheeconomic benefit of tourist attraction, it would have been far better to spend the money on a meaningful Arts programme of presentations and concerts, with some big-name, big-hitters. But, once again, a vociferous minority gets carried away with unresearched optimism, and spends tens of thousands on something that is as likely as winning the National Lottery. Stupid beyond belief.

DEREK FARMER Knightsward Farm, Anstruther