As it stands at the moment, only one UK town will gain the city title as part of the Queen’s Jubilee year. This has changed from the past years, as in previous competitions, one town from each country in the UK would be granted City Status.
However, due to the economic down turn, the next competition, with the winner being announced in 2012 will only allow one town IN THE WHOLE UK to become a City.
But an MP from Perth raised his concerns at Westminster last Friday (17th December).
Pete Wishart claims that only naming one City will exclude several others in different countries within the UK who may warrant such a title. So he raised this very question in the House of Commons
Mr Wishart will question that and also put across what he claims is Perth’s “compelling” case to the House of Commons.
He has sighted several reasons including history, and states that the plans to name just one town as a City at the 2012 Jubilee Celebrations will be unfair and “favors large English candidate towns with more resources and easier access to the decision making centre”.
He requests that there be separate competitions for each of the home nations in order to have a new City for each country.
This could have a large bearing on Reading’s opportunity of winning, as although the strongest candidates are from England, there are also some “dark horses” from the other nations which must not be written off due to their apparent small population.
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