Renfrewshire MP Gavin Newlands joins debate on Town of Culture award

Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, was involved in a debate on proposals to bring in an award specifically for towns, similar to the current UK City of Culture award.

Paisley is the only town to ever be shortlisted for the UK City of Culture award, and eventually lost out to Coventry for the 2021 title.

And in the debate, the SNP man highlighted the rich history of not only Paisley, but also Renfrew, as he argued how the award may unlock an opportunity for towns with a proud cultural heritage to receive vital investment. 

In the Westminster Hall debate, Mr Newlands said: "It's vital that we recognise the value of our towns, big or small, which can often have bigger personalities than cities many times their size.

"That brings me to Paisley. I'm proud to be one of the MPs for the town I was born in and it's often described by my fellow MSP George Adam as the centre of the universe.

"For a town its size, it's unrivalled in its contribution to the world, and I think it's one of the reasons we are having today's debate.

"Paisley's bid for UK City of Culture 2021 helped raise awareness of its spectacular historical and ongoing cultural contribution to the world.

"The bid was fantastic for the town and will leave a legacy of its own. But, the fact Paisley was the first town to make the shortlist at all higlights the issue with the City of Culture award as it stands, without a town award alongside it.

"But Paisley is not the only town or village in my constituency with a proud heritage. The historical capital of Renfrewshire itself and my hometown since I was four has a proud history which few towns can match. Renfrew is known as a cradle of the Royal Stewarts as it was an early home to the final royal family of the Kingdom of Scotland.

"We all have many towns rich in culture which miss out on vital investment. This proposed Town of Culture away could unlock that investment."