Calls to make South End a city

Southend has officially been granted city status.


Southend WILL become a city in tribute after years-long campaign by killed MP Sir David Amess
 
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(Gets Teesside chip out of the closet, sticks on shoulder).

Of course they can give it two Cities in Essex and probably will. Now if it was a northern region we were talking about.......

Well that was quick. Told ya 😉
 
It just goes to show that there are no 'difficult decisions' to be made in politics just choices based on grace and favour.

I'm not so much arguing against naming the town of Southend as a city, more to do with how quickly it can happen if it serves a purpose for this government.
 
I don't have a problem with it.

It was in the running to be a city, regardless and it's something the guy actually campaigned for.

It's not like they've awarded it to a hamlet.
 
Utter rubbish.
The horrendous death of a decent man should not translate this way.
It is shallow, hollow, vacuous.
Like Boris Johnson who has decided to do it.

I think it was inevitable Johnson was going to do this to be honest. Over the top headline grabbing gesture that completely ignores the hard work many towns put into trying to achieve this status and the seriousness it's taken (by some). If it can be awarded on a whim, then why not let every town have it (some no doubt more deserving than Southend, but who haven't tragically had their MP murdered).

And of course impossible for any public figure to criticise the decision. Which Johnson knows all too well.
 
A man was murdered doing his duty, he spent a significant portion of his career campaigning for Southend to be made a city, it's a decent gesture to grant that honour.

He spent a significant time campaigning against fuel poverty, lets stop that.
He spent a lot of time campaigning against abortion. Lets stop that.
He spent a significant time campaigning against animal cruelty, lets put an end to fox hunting.
He spent a significant time campaigning against same sex marriage, lets stop that.

What about Jo Cox. Lets make Batley a city. It would be a decent gesture to grant that honour.
 
He spent a significant time campaigning against fuel poverty, lets stop that.
He spent a lot of time campaigning against abortion. Lets stop that.
He spent a significant time campaigning against animal cruelty, lets put an end to fox hunting.
He spent a significant time campaigning against same sex marriage, lets stop that.

What about Jo Cox. Lets make Batley a city. It would be a decent gesture to grant that honour.
Im sure if Batley were even bothered to apply for City status then they would now have a perfectly good case and Johnson would find it hard to reject. Have to agree with Tea Cider here and say its a gesture that is fine by me given the effort the MP had gone to raise it.
 
He spent a significant time campaigning against fuel poverty, lets stop that.
He spent a lot of time campaigning against abortion. Lets stop that.
He spent a significant time campaigning against animal cruelty, lets put an end to fox hunting.
He spent a significant time campaigning against same sex marriage, lets stop that.

What about Jo Cox. Lets make Batley a city. It would be a decent gesture to grant that honour.

City status is a purely symbolic thing, none of those other things are, and I'm sure you know that.
 
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its a reference to The Benedictine Priory placed at the South bank of The Tees - mid point between the religious holy sites at Whitby & Durham.


I hosted a talk before lockdown by Middlesbrough historian Geoff Braddy and he refutes this explanation of middle point between Whitby and Durham and seems to be able to back it up. It just is not the route you would have taken between the two, if anyone had actually wanted to travel between the two.
Geoff now argues there may have been a Roman or Saxon fort or fortlet on the Tees that resulted in the Brough (or Burgh).
 
City status is a purely symbolic thing, none of those other things are, and I'm sure you know that.

But I'll leave you all to your bile.
It isn't just symbolic. Anything based in the new city, be it college, office, shop etc gets City Status by its name. It can mean extra staff. It can mean higher ranked/paid staff. This brought massive extra funding for Sunderland and Preston. It seems all wrong and ridiculous to say it but both Preston and Sunderland quantified the benefits and how many millions of £s better off they were for suddenly becoming a city rather than a town. Madness but then again it would be madness not turn down a gift horse.
 
It isn't just symbolic. Anything based in the new city, be it college, office, shop etc gets City Status by its name. It can mean extra staff. It can mean higher ranked/paid staff. This brought massive extra funding for Sunderland and Preston. It seems all wrong and ridiculous to say it but both Preston and Sunderland quantified the benefits and how many millions of £s better off they were for suddenly becoming a city rather than a town. Madness but then again it would be madness not turn down a gift horse.
Yes It can mean it but city status doesn’t automatically qualify for increased investment although the status does give a “panache” It is symbolic primarily. This article from 9 years ago explains it well I think.

Why do towns want to become cities? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13841482
 
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