LIVERPOOL Culture Company was embroiled in a new Euro wrangle after organising a showcase event in Brussels – when the area’s 10 MEPs were hundreds of kilometres away in Strasbourg.
The under-fire Culture Company invited Merseyside's Euro MPs to a reception in Brussels last week, the week they are in Strasbourg.
“It's a pity they didn't do their homework first and arrange the reception when MEPs are actually in Belgium and not France,” said Merseyside-based John Whittaker, an MEP for the UK Independence Party.
But the Culture Company hit back, saying the event, at the home of the UK’s permanent ambassador to the EU, was not organised specifically for MEPs.
Dr Whittaker said last night: “It seems thousands of pounds of yet more ratepayers’ money being wasted by the Culture Company. We can but hope 2008 turns out better than 2007 has for them.”
The 10 North West MEPs, along with a number of EU officials, have moved from Brussels to Strasbourg for a plenary session. The entire EU parliament moves between the two locations.
During Friday’s reception, the Liverpool 08 team, led by Sir Bob Scott, delivered a short presentation about the 2008 programme, and used short films to demonstrate how the programme is also addressing social and community engagement via a range of innovative programmes.
Kris Donaldson, acting chief executive of the Liverpool Culture Company, said last night: “This event is a relatively small reception aimed at a general Brussels-based audience, particularly the European Commission, the British Council, Visit Britain Netherlands/ Belgium Office and other UK-based organisations in the city – to keep them informed about the programme for 2008.
“There were only a very limited number of suitable dates when the facility was available for the reception, and although we were aware of the fact that MEPs would be in Strasbourg, this was not judged to be sufficient reason to avoid this date.
“While MEPs were of course included on the invitation list, they are not the main audience for this event.”
It is understood the guest list was limited to around 100 people, with just a small handful of Culture Company staff from Liverpool attending the event.
Sir Bob, chairman of the culture year bid team, has continued to work as an international director for the Culture Company to promote Liverpool’s 08 year to a global audience.
