Campaign for city status for Perth will go to Westminster

Nov 10 2009 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

THE campaign to regain city status for Perth steps inside Westminster next month in a bid to woo the decision-makers.

Perth and Kinross Provost John Hulbert and Pete Wishart, MP for Perth and North Perthshire, will co-host a dinner in the House of Commons on December 7.

Provost Hulbert said: “Those to be invited will include prominent London-based people who have Perth connections and who have already declared their support for Perth’s city status campaign, as well as a number of MPs and MSPs.

“We want to increase the chatter about Perth and city status for Perth in the corridors of power, especially London.”

Much of the groundwork for the London flank of the campaign for city status has come from Baroness Veronica Linklater, whose family home is at Butterstone, near Dunkeld.

Provost Hulbert explained: “Baroness Linklater has been working away on our behalf in London and both she and Pete Wishart have met the minister of state in the Ministry of Justice.

”They report that the vibes have been quite encouraging.

“The minister is certainly considering city status for Perth and we want to build on that.”

People being invited to dine with the Provost and Mr Wishart will include high-profile media representatives, a number of peers of the realm and influential MPs, including Perth-born Tory MP Michael Fallon, who was brought up in the Carse of Gowrie.

The guests will be given a “fairly low-key” presentation on the city status bid by Provost Hulbert and Perth and Kinross Lord Lieutenant Mel Jamieson.

“A number have replied saying they are willing to assist,” said the Provost. “The idea is to ask all these people to the dinner and by that time we should have our claim document printed and published.”

The cost of the event will be borne by Perth and Kinross Council, although the Provost stressed: “Without Pete Wishart we would be paying more for the meal and for the venue.”

The estimated cost of the dinner is £1120 plus drinks, which the sub-committee agreed could be met from current revenue budgets, together with travel costs and overnight accommodation for the council’s representatives.

Representing the council at the dinner will be the provost, the depute provost, the chief executive and her depute and a council officer.

Provost sub-committee member George Hayton thanked Provost Hulbert for all the work he had put in to the campaign. He described the dinner as good value for money.

He said: “The problem is almost everyone assumes Perth is already a city, whereas we managed to lose that status in 1976.

“We look forward to a successful and productive event in London.”