The application, delivered to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), has been backed by every MP across Lancashire, including Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons. Chris Webb, MP for Blackpool South, was joined by 15 fellow Lancashire MPs in a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP, voicing unanimous support for Blackpool’s bid. "Winning this title would be transformational, not just for Blackpool but for the whole of Lancashire." Earlier this year, Blackpool was longlisted for the title alongside eight other UK locations: Inverness-Highland, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Swindon, and Wrexham. The UK City of Culture 2029 winner will be announced in December 2026 or January 2027.