The race for city status has taken a dramatic turn after it was confirmed there may be more than one winner.
This has boosted the spirits of the team behind Perth’s bid, as they believe that the town is one of the strongest contenders for the sought-after title.
Fresh hope arrived in the form of a letter to Provost John Hulbert from UK Cabinet Office Minister Mark Harper noting the energetic campaign for the Fair City.
Mr Harper highlights the “pivotal role” Perth has played in Scotland’s history, as well as the “strength of feeling” expressed within the town.
He wrote, “The logical conclusion from holding one competition across the UK is that there may be only one winner. However, as you have noted, in the event of the Millennium competition, the quantity and quality of entries was very high and three worthy entrants were chosen, including Inverness.
“It therefore remains possible for any UK-wide civic honours competition, including the current one, to result in more than one winner and, of course, for its winner(s) to be from any part of the UK.”
This has been warmly welcomed by Provost Hulbert, as he believes the Perth bid will stand out among its fellow competitors. However, he made it clear there is no room for complacency.
“We have had much support from people across Perth and Kinross and the rest of Scotland, so we want to build on that support throughout the next six months prior to the winner or winners being announced in 2012.
“I would now urge everyone to pledge their support and back our bid.”
Fellow campaigner Pete Wishart, the MP for Perth and North Perthshire, has also been encouraged by the letter.
He said, “This is a very encouraging development and this change of heart greatly enhances Perth’s chances.
“This has been achieved by the compelling case that there should be more than one winner matching the different arrangements and civic ambitions throughout the UK.
“All the other contests had more than one winner, so this one should be no different.
“We know that if there’s to be only one winner our chances are reduced because of the number of large English applicants but now we have everything to play for.”
To back the pledge for city status, go to www.pkc.gov.uk/citystatussupport or fill in a form available from a number of venues across Perthshire.