City of Culture 2017 put Hull back on the map, but Andy Burnham has shown we can do better – we just need support
Prince's dock in Hull (eye35.pix/Alamy)
4 min read
Hull has never lacked talent, pride or ambition. What we have too often lacked is the investment and recognition this great city deserves.
That is why our year as UK City of Culture in 2017 mattered so much. For many people outside our city, Hull was too often the punchline to a joke or a place spoken about in terms of decline. Those of us who live here always knew that was wrong. We knew Hull was a city of extraordinary creativity, resilience and community spirit. City of Culture gave us the opportunity to show that to the rest of the country.
And show it we did. Over the course of that remarkable year, millions of people visited Hull. They came to our museums, galleries, theatres and public spaces. They saw a city transformed by imagination and energy. Our local businesses benefited from increased footfall, our hospitality sector thrived and national attention focused on the best of Hull rather than the tired stereotypes of the past.
The economic impact was significant, but the real legacy of City of Culture cannot be measured by visitor numbers alone. The biggest change was in how we saw ourselves.
For one unforgettable year, Hull stood at the centre of the national conversation. Streets and public spaces were filled with people. Communities came together. Artists, volunteers and local organisations worked side by side. Young people who had grown up hearing their city talked down saw Hull through fresh eyes. We were reminded that our city can achieve extraordinary things when given the chance.
Did City of Culture solve every problem we face? Of course not. We still have deep rooted challenges. Too many families are struggling in poverty. Too many people are trapped in insecure work. Too many communities feel the effects of years of underinvestment – but to claim that City of Culture made no difference is to ignore the renewed confidence and sense of possibility it created.
That confidence is still visible today. Hull’s cultural sector continues to grow. Our tourism industry remains stronger than it was before 2017. More importantly, people in Hull carry themselves with a renewed sense of pride in their city and what it can achieve.
And that pride is being reflected far beyond the arts. This has been a remarkable time for Hull sport. Hull Kingston Rovers have brought silverware back to East Hull and shown what determination and belief can achieve. Hull City are once again looking to build momentum and give supporters hope for the future. Across the city, Hull continues to punch well above its weight.
But civic pride alone is not enough. If Hull is to fulfil its potential, we need the same level of ambition from government that our city has shown time and again. That means proper investment in transport, housing, skills and industry. It means backing our ports and our growing renewable energy sector. And it means finally delivering the rail electrification that Hull has been promised for far too long.
I support this Labour government, but we must be honest when Hull is in danger of being overlooked once again
The fact that Hull remains one of the largest cities in the country without a fully electrified rail line is a glaring example of how successive governments have failed to prioritise our region.
I support this Labour government, but we must be honest when Hull is in danger of being overlooked once again. Our city cannot be expected to compete on a level playing field when we are still waiting for infrastructure improvements that other places take for granted.
We should look to leaders such as Andy Burnham, who has championed a confident and unapologetic vision for Greater Manchester. Hull deserves that same sense of belief and determination.
City of Culture put Hull back on the map. Now it is time for government to match our ambition, invest in our future and ensure this city gets the support it has long deserved. Because if 2017 taught us anything, it is that when Hull is given the opportunity, there is no limit to what we can achieve.
Karl Turner is Independent MP for Kingston upon Hull East
