The UK Government is to hold ‘urgent ‘discussions’ after the European Commission cancelled Britain’s turn to host the European Capital of Culture post Brexit.
Five UK cities – Dundee, Nottingham, Leeds, Milton Keynes and Belfast/Derry – have already put forward bids to be hosts in 2023, alongside a city in Hungary.
But the EC says the UK will no longer be eligible to have a host city after it leaves the European Union in 2019.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it disagrees with the stance and was disappointed the commission had not made the announcement until now, a month after the cities had submitted their final bids.
“The prime minister has been clear that while we are leaving the EU, we are not leaving Europe and this has been welcomed by EU leaders," it said.
Cities from non-EU countries have previously held the title but it must be a candidate to join or must be in the European Free Trade Association or the European Economic Area.
Plans for the UK to host a Capital of Culture in 2023 were announced back in 2014, before the referendum.
