‘Don’t bottle City Status bid opportunity’ says Ken Skates MS

Clwyd South’s Ken Skates MS has doubled down on his previous support for Wrexham’s city status bid, writing an open letter stating ‘change takes courage’.

The letter comes before the Executive Board sign off on the decision to formally submit the bid documents to the UK Government’s Cabinet Office this week.

Although a bid submission does not guarantee a win, there is a belief in some quarters that Wrexham could be the only bid from Wales and therefore highly likely to be chosen by the Queen to become the City of Wrexham.

The issue was debated and voted on last month in one of the worst meetings Wrexham Council has ever held, when the Full Council met and all 46 councillors present voted on the topic, amid threats of a walk out.

The full letter from Ken Skates MS is below,

To support city status for Wrexham is to demonstrate pride in Wrexham.

Status is important, whether we like it or not, and to be a city creates a buzz that being a town simply never does. Becoming a new city also attracts international attention, and for Wrexham that would deliver huge resonance with the increasing global exposure we are attracting.

City status also provides better job opportunities and more wealth for citizens. Seven of the eight towns that became cities at the start of this century have outperformed the rest of the UK, according to economic analysts. Only Wolverhampton has lagged, but that’s because it lives directly under the shadow of Britain’s second biggest city, Birmingham. The seven others, including Newport here in Wales, have enjoyed greater economic success and job creation than the rest of the country.

And then there’s confidence the confidence that city status confers.

Wrexham Town or Wrexham City.

Which gives you more confidence? For one, I don’t want to carry on as the underdog, as the junior player to the rest of Wales. I was born here and want Wrexham elevated, promoted, and on a par with Cardiff, Newport and Swansea.

Do you?

Sure, there are politicians who are opposing city status. They want to feed off scepticism and cynicism, off fear of change. Perhaps they resent the ceremonial involvement of the Queen in the process, but whatever their reason it isn’t because they want Wrexham to have a more confident future.

Please don’t bottle this opportunity to promote Wrexham to a higher status, to greater employment and wealth, to a more confident future.

Change takes courage. And we who support city status for Wrexham should be proud of our ambition for our people and place.

I know there are people who won’t agree with me, but I’d rather speak what I feel than say what is calculated to deliver votes, as some who oppose city status are sadly doing.

The world is changing fast and it’s time to be outward-looking, confident and brave.

As we previously reported, the report will likely sail through later today going off the voting records in Full Council on the topic, plus the line in the report for the meeting today that simply states: “The Lead Members been consulted and support the proposals” – the Lead Members being the ones voting.

Wrexham Council have recently published a list that “identifies 10 key benefits that Wrexham could capitalise on if it becomes a city”, it is copied in full below:

1. 1. Increased sense of local pride.
   2. A platform to promote Wrexham.
   3. Opportunities for local institutions and businesses to raise their profile and attract investment. e.g. University
   4. More potential to attract skilled and ambitious students, employees and investors to Wrexham. e.g. Hospital
   5. Opportunities for the community, infrastructure, and services to grow and develop more sustainably.
   6. A focus for future branding and marketing campaigns.
   7. Greater awareness of Wrexham’s history, culture and language – attracting more visitors and supporting the local economy.
   8. More potential to attract major projects.
   9. The ability to collaborate with Welsh and UK cities on specific city projects and initiatives.
   10. Increased expectations of ‘place making’ that in turn create more vibrant places to live, work and invest.

Two further documents have also been published, here and here, the latter giving a preamble to the above list and an expanded version of the top ten key benefits as above.