Leeds’ year of culture is threatening to turn into a “damp squib”, according to the chief of the city council’s main opposition party. Councillor Alan Lamb, who leads the local Conservative group, suggested Leeds 2023 had failed to capture the public’s imagination thus far.
The council’s Labour administration defended the year-long festival and claimed its economic benefits were “undoubted”. Coun Lamb made the comments at a meeting of the authority’s most senior members on Wednesday, as he referred to a council report which said Leeds 2023 will “let culture loose in all areas of the city”.
Councillor Alan Lamb said: “Given we’re now halfway through 2023 I think a lot of people in the city would be hard pressed to say they agree culture has been let loose in all parts. I accept there are a number of events still to come. The concern is it ‘will it end up being a bit of a damp squib?’
