UK CITY OF CULTURE 2013

That this House notes the shortlist of cities for the title UK City of Culture 2013, Birmingham, Londonderry, Norwich and Sheffield; recognises that each has a range of advantages and wishes all four cities all the best as they await the verdict in July; further notes the rich historical and cultural legacy that the north west of Northern Ireland has to rely on; and expresses the hope that, as the birthplace of political democracy which emerged from the 105 day siege in 1689 and the place from where King William III went on to establish the modern day democracy the UK now enjoys, the City of Londonderry will be an extraordinarily difficult bid for the others to defeat.