Your MoS saves BRITAIN!
SNP won’t ban the word after our story
NOW SNP WANT TO BAN THE WORD BRITAIN! EXCLUSIVE: MoS, August 30
A MULTI-MILLION pound celebration of the UK will be held in Scotland after the SNP backed down over demands for words such as ‘Britain’ to be removed.
The Mail on Sunday broke the story about how the Scottish Government had been accused of frustrating plans for Festival UK 2022, by insisting that references to ‘UK’ and ‘British’ be dropped from branding.
But now, after our exclusive and a barrage of criticism, Scottish Ministers have been forced to backtrack, say UK Government sources.
Their stance had threatened £12 million of funding for at least one of the ten planned events set to take place north of the Border in two years’ time. But the project has now entered a £3 million ‘research and development’ stage of the process, with creative companies urged to pitch ideas for different events.
There are to be outdoor spectaculars celebrating UK achievements in areas such as science and innovation, aimed at boosting morale and promoting the country as the UK starts life outside the
European Union. One source said some of the events might resemble the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games.
The Scottish Government’s opposition to words such as ‘UK’ and ‘Britain’ featuring in branding jeopardised the start of the research and development stage, but UK officials were adamant.
A UK Government source said: ‘We were very clear we were not backing down.
‘You can’t pay for a UK-wide festival and not have the name “UK” in there.’
There was a ‘soft’ launch of the next phase on September 9, which was low-key due to the focus on the Covid battle.
However, it is hoped that by the time the festival takes place, the pandemic will be over and the country will be on the road to recovery.
Former PM Theresa May proposed the idea as a way of recapturing the morale-boosting spirit of the 1951 Festival of Britain, which followed post-war austerity. The 2022 event will have to have a similar effect, with the UK already in recession and the full economic devastation of the virus not yet known.
The UK Government is looking for applicants from the worlds of science, technology, engineering, arts and maths, across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, to form creative teams to engage with the public.
Paul Bush, director of events at Festival UK 2022, said: ‘This is a chance for our finest creative minds to inspire the population with original, open and optimistic visions.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We have been engaging positively with the UK Government and other devolved nations since very early in the process.’