Cross-border City of Culture bid divide emerges

A political split has emerged over plans to secure City of Culture status across five council areas in southern Scotland and northern England.

The bid is one of 20 in the running to win the honour in 2025.

However, SNP councillors in Dumfries and Galloway have said they do not back the proposals amid concerns over the size of the area covered.

Conservative MP David Mundell said he was "very disappointed" by the stance which he described as "appalling".

The local authorities for Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Borders, Carlisle City, Cumbria and Northumberland have lodged an expression of interest in becoming a City of Culture area.

A longlist of bids to be taken forward is expected to be announced later this month.

Dumfries and Galloway Council's deputy leader, Rob Davidson, who heads the SNP group said it had reservations about the bid.

He said the group would have been "very interested" in supporting a south of Scotland application for the status.

He said that would have aligned better with the council's goals for the region - including a bid for city status for Dumfries.

Mr Davidson said that could have worked to ensure Dumfries and Galloway enjoyed the profile group members felt it deserved.

"Our concerns with the Borderlands bid are, firstly, that we are not entirely clear how the decision was made to go ahead with such a bid," he said.

"And, secondly, that we feel there is a great risk that everything Dumfries and Galloway has to offer doesn't get the prominence and exposure to wider audiences that, for example, a south of Scotland bid would have guaranteed."

He said the group feared it could be "lost in the mix" of this substantially bigger area.

Mr Mundell, who represents Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, said he was disappointed by the SNP's attitude to the bid.

"I can only conclude that it is because of this cross-border element and frankly that is pathetic," he said.

He said the party had backed other bids in other parts of the country.

"The difference here with this bid is it involves a cross-border approach and ultimately SNP philosophy is against co-operation with our friends and neighbours across the border," he added.

The bid faces competition from numerous other sites to secure the status, currently held by Coventry.

The winner will be decided in May next year.