Coventry’s leaders including councillors George Duggins and Jim O’Boyle should be commended on the fight for Channel 4 to come to the new City of Culture, repeatedly championing our city’s great credentials and ambitions.
But many people, including on social media, have expressed the view Coventry was never a likely candidate.
Sadly, they are probably right, given the historic difficulties in competing for inward investment and fair recognition against the second city up the road, now shortlisted with Leeds and Manchester.
It may no longer be fashionable for local leaders to state this view in an era of closer regional working through the metro mayor and West Midlands Combined Authority.
But they and Coventrians will be watching.
