UK City of Culture 2025: Southampton 'overlooked because of location'

There is a sense that Southampton has been overlooked despite the government's levelling up project

Southampton's failed bid to become the UK's City of Culture could be down to its location in the south, senior leaders have suggested.

The title, which is awarded every four years, has gone to Bradford, which will be the fourth UK City of Culture.

Satvir Kaur, leader of Southampton City Council, said: "It's about time that levelling up was actually about need rather than geography."

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said the right city had won.

Run by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the competition saw Southampton compete in a shortlist with Bradford, Wrexham, and County Durham.

Royston Smith, the Conservative MP for Southampton Itchen, told the BBC: "All I seem to see is geography and not a lot of opportunity.

"What can I say? I'm not going to stand here and defend these decisions because frankly these decisions don't come our way, and it's about time they did."

Levelling up is based on the idea that people and communities in areas of the UK that have been left behind should get a chance to catch up.

Labour leader Ms Kaur said: "I think it's my job and local MPs jobs to advocate for our region... and a place like Southampton has been overlooked for far too long."

She said levelling up should mean "our most deprived communities wherever you are in the country getting that investment".

She added: "A place like Southampton has been really misunderstood because we're surrounded by leafy Hampshire, whereas we're quite an urban city. Arguably we're a northern city on the south coast."

Crowds gathered at Southampton's Solent University to hear the announcement on The One Show

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said Southampton and the other places vying for the title had offered "stiff competition" and put in "excellent bids".

When asked whether Southampton was at a disadvantage because it was the only city from the south on the shortlist, she said: "No, not at all, the independent committee who judged had a set criteria".