Scotland’s newest city is to fight for the right to have a lord provost as civic head.
A campaign to have the historic title reinstated has been launched by Perth and Kinross Council, and Provost John Hulbert has contacted the First Minister stressing it would help restore the ”prestige” of the city.
”Perth’s claim for city status has been granted,” said Dr Hulbert, who is standing down at May’s election. ”The next step in the process to restore Perth’s prestige and dignity to the situation that existed prior to 1975 is to seek the restoration of the right to use the title lord provost.
”City status, and the right to use the title lord provost were withdrawn from Perth as a consequence of the relocation of much of the local administration to Dundee when local government was reorganised in 1975.
”In 1996 these powers were restored, and Perth became an all-purpose authority with a population of 148,000, roughly equal to the population of Dundee and more than that of Stirling, and covering an area of 5,200 sq km, second only among Scottish cities to the area administered by Inverness.
”However, city status and the right to use the title Lord Provost were not restored.”
In his letter to Alex Salmond, Dr Hulbert asks that the matter of restoring the title of lord provost be looked at as a matter of ”urgency”.
He says it is his understanding that if the council can prove historic title the issue can be decided as a devolved matter in consultation with the Lord Lyon.
The letter has been followed up by contacts between Perth and Kinross Council and the Scottish Government on an official level, though some complications have arisen.
In other cities the lord provost and lord lieutenant the Queen’s local representative are one and the same person, a situation Dr Hulbert wouldn’t like see replicated in Perth and Kinross.
”Perth and Kinross, and the council, has benefited hugely by having an outstanding lord lieutenant,” said Dr Hulbert. ”It is obviously advantageous to have a lord lieutenant who is separate from the provost.
”Their responsibilities are very different, and it does not follow that the same person can fulfil both roles effectively.
”I do not think it is certain how the Queen, or the Lord Lyon fits in. Presumably the Scottish ministers would make a recommendation to the Queen, but that doesn’t seem to be prescribed by the legislation.
”The involvement of the Lord Lyon is even more obscure.”
Dr Hulbert believes there is an abundance of evidence of the historic title to back up the claim, and is confident that a ”wrong” dating back 35 years can and should be righted in the near future.