Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Cities and Towns of Culture

Thursday 27 November 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Andrew Cooper inquired about the cultural vibrancy of Northwich and Winsford, highlighting Winsford's reputation for nurturing musical talent.
  • John Glen welcomed the innovation around the UK town of culture initiative, recalling his brief appearance on "The One Show" regarding Coventry being the UK city of culture.
  • The Minister acknowledged receiving lobbying from Wigan and Scunthorpe regarding the UK town of culture project.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andrew Cooper Lab Mid Cheshire
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

Andrew Cooper highlights Northwich and Winsford's cultural vibrancy, mentioning specific events and musical talent.

Question

Northwich and Winsford, in my constituency, have long punched well above their weight when it comes to cultural vibrancy and creativity. Winsford, in particular, has earned a proud reputation as an incubator for musical talent, with emerging acts, such The Luka State and The Voke, making waves on the national indie music scene. Meanwhile, Northwich has firmly established itself as the events capital of Cheshire, hosting standout occasions including the Now Northwich International Street Dance festival, The Charlatans’ North by Northwich takeover and, of course, the world-famous Piña Colada festival. Does my hon. Friend agree that Mid Cheshire makes an outstanding contribution to the UK’s cultural landscape, and will he consider supporting a joint bid from Northwich and Winsford for the town of culture competition?

Answer from The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts (Ian Murray)

Mr Speaker, I would never presume to know your diary, but I feel as if we should go together to the Piña Colada festival, just to take one for the team and see what that is all about. Since I gave my answer to my hon. Friend’s substantive question, I have been lobbied by both Wigan and Scunthorpe for town of culture as I was sitting on the Front Bench. The culture and creativity celebrated by towns in Mid Cheshire is superb, as we have heard, and the examples my hon. Friend provided illustrate how the area is already showcasing local creativity and talent. We are thrilled that the UK town of culture competition will provide an excellent platform for towns like those, UK-wide, to highlight those causes, and we look forward to receiving bids from those towns, once the submission window opens shortly.

Answered
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Q2 John Glen Con Salisbury
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

John Glen inquires about the eligibility and guidance for Salisbury's potential bid, considering its cultural assets.

Question

I warmly welcome the innovation around the UK town of culture. My 10 seconds of fame as the Under Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport was in December 2017, when I went to Hull, the train broke down and I announced on “The One Show” that Coventry would be the UK city of culture. On behalf of Salisbury, which celebrates its 800th anniversary in 2027, may I ask if guidance can be given? Salisbury is a market town with a cathedral and we would love to apply, but given all our world-leading cultural assets we will need guidance about whether we qualify for the city or the town of culture.

Answer from The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts (Ian Murray)

The right hon. Gentleman is probably exaggerating when he says he had 10 seconds of fame—<br/>John Glen<br/>Maybe five seconds?<br/>iMurray I will meet him halfway and say seven and a half seconds. These are very exciting projects. As I said, I have already been lobbied by Wigan and Scunthorpe as I have been sitting on the Front Bench, and now I am being lobbied by Salisbury, so that shows the excitement around both the competitions. That is why we introduced the town of culture competition. I look forward to bids coming in and I am happy for officials to work with the right hon. Gentleman to ensure that the bid goes to the right competition.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide specific guidance on whether Salisbury qualifies for city or town of culture, but offered to help ensure the bid goes to the correct competition.

How: Working With Officials

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