Meeting of the Parliament 27 September 2017
I thank Fiona Hyslop for bringing the debate to the chamber. It gives us an opportunity to show our support for two remarkable areas of Scotland and our appreciation for all that they contribute to our cultural fabric. Like my fellow Scottish Conservatives, I give my full backing to the Paisley 2021 bid, and I wish the team behind it and the people of Paisley every success.
Today, though, I would like to focus on Dundee’s bid to become European capital of culture 2023. I know Dundee and I have the great good fortune to be able to represent that wonderful city as a regional MSP for North East Scotland. That is a good starting point, because it is important that we recognise the challenges that the North East Scotland region has faced over the past few years, and Dundee is no exception to that. The city has recently had to contend with both the wider regional downturn and several high-profile job losses.
All that is against the backdrop of the decline of traditional industries across much of the country over past decades. Changing times have seen industries and jobs of the past disappear and, like many other places, Dundee has found itself in need of a new direction. That is why the Dundee bid is so important. Dundee is not just aiming for the title of European capital of culture; it is aiming for a new future, and it is a city that has the ambition and drive to achieve that.
For evidence of that—and to see recognition of that future given by a global audience—we need only look to the fact that UNESCO named Dundee the first city of design in the UK. Within the city itself, the new V&A museum of design not only heralds the regeneration of the waterfront but is a symbol of the regeneration and transformation of the city as a whole.
We see Dundee’s ambition in the plans as laid out. Should its bid be successful, we will see a renaissance of culture, with a £40 million programme of up to 80 events, including six major arts festivals, being staged across the city. That ambition is backed up by the talent to deliver it, including Sir Jonathan Mills, a former director of the Edinburgh International Festival. No one should be in any doubt about Dundee’s determination to deliver.
The potential economic benefits of success are many. As has been mentioned, up to 1,600 full-time jobs could be created and as much as £128 million could be injected into the local economy. It is estimated that tourism will shoot up by as much as 50 per cent in the short term and by almost a fifth over the long term. The wider north-east could also benefit. Regional GDP is in line to receive a very welcome and much needed boost of up to 4.5 per cent.
All of that is important, welcome and achievable, but it is not the full story. Beyond the numbers, Dundee stands to gain something else—a new role in Scotland’s story.
The motion that we are debating today notes the importance of Dundee’s existing contribution to Scottish culture, and I whole-heartedly agree with that. Dundee has given us so much: from D C Thomson’s beloved comics and newspapers—not to confuse the titles within those descriptions; to the world’s first radio broadcast in 1832 by a James Bowman Lindsay—not someone I know to be a relative; to an important centre for the video games industry, as we have heard; to its world-class education and life sciences capability. Dundee has many famous sons and daughters, such as women’s rights advocate and missionary Mary Slessor; it can even count William Wallace among their ranks—he was educated in Dundee in the 1290s and apparently killed his first man there.
Dundee has a rich history, but being named European capital of culture would open the door to an equally rich future. Only two other British cities have ever been named European capital of culture—Glasgow and Liverpool. That underscores just how significant a win for Dundee would be. In fact, as has been mentioned, we need only look to Glasgow to see the impact that winning the title can have. Glasgow has gone from being a city founded on heavy industry to a renowned centre of culture, learning and the arts, and tourists, conferences and events flood into the city. Glasgow has made that transformational leap and continues to reap the rewards. Now it is Dundee’s turn.
In closing, I have a request for each of you: come to Dundee; come and see its galleries and museums; come and eat in its cafes and restaurants; and come and visit its concerts and gigs. Most of all, come and see why Dundee deserves to win. I am very happy to support the motion.