Members' Business — S6M-02397 Emma Harper: Potential for Dumfries City Status

That the Parliament welcomes the bid from Dumfries and Galloway Council for Dumfries to be recognised as Scotland’s eighth city, as part of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee in 2022; understands that, on 27 November 2020, Dumfries and Galloway Council officially launched its campaign to see the town secure city status in 2022; believes that Dumfries, known nationally as Queen of the South, could benefit socially, financially and culturally if successful; understands that when other towns, such as Perth, Stirling and Inverness, received city status they went from strength to strength, with greater job creation, increased inward migration, higher visitor numbers, increased investment and improved transport infrastructure connectivity to other cities; believes that there is potential for Dumfries' city status to benefit the entire Dumfries and Galloway region through promotion of what it sees as the region's world class facilities, such as its mountain biking at the various 7Stanes sites, its world-recognised Galloway dark skies park, its world-leading food and drink sector, including its local breweries and whisky, gin and rum distilleries, as well as through its historical and cultural ties to Burns, Bruce and Barry; commends the work of all partners involved in taking the bid forward including Dumfries and Galloway Council, Mark Jardine and the Dumfries People’s Project, the Lord Lieutenant of Dumfries, Fiona Armstrong, and local people for their constructive involvement from early 2021; supports all efforts to secure city status for Dumfries, which due to its geographical location could be Scotland’s "first city", and believes that it would improve investment to the town, and region as a whole, and put Dumfries on the international map as one of Scotland’s cities.