https://www.karlmccartney.co.uk/form/bring-back-lincoln-christmas-mar
Coinciding with when Lincoln’s Christmas Market should have been starting until the Labour-run City of Lincoln Council closed it, Local MP, Karl, has today launched a survey asking for the views of local people and businesses. He is asking them what format a future Lincoln Christmas Market should take as he believes it should be reinstated, with changes if necessary.
The Lincoln MP will also be launching a series of video interviews with local traders about the impact that it has on their businesses and why they want to “Bring Back Lincoln Christmas Market”.
Karl and his Conservative Councillor colleagues on the City of Lincoln Council have opposed the decision by the Council to close the Market. A decision made earlier this year, in secret, without asking for the opinions of local businesses, the public or community organisations. All Labour City Councillors have point blank refused to discuss or consider re-opening the Market in 2024, even in a different format, when they opposed a motion to do so. This was presented by the Conservative Councillors at the end of November.
Closing the Market has put livelihoods, jobs, charity donations and the City's reputation at risk. The Market brings the City together and provides benefits to Lincoln’s tourism and hospitality economy all year round. This is due to visitors who come being reminded of how wonderful the City is. So, they revisit the museums, galleries, Castle, Cathedral and shops at other times of the year, and subsequent years, and puts our City firmly on the national and international map.
In fact, the secretive and destructive decision by Lincoln’s Labour Party, has led to widespread national ridicule of the City with negative headlines on national radio and in newspapers including papers stating “Locals slam 'bizarre' decision to scrap England's oldest Christmas market as it's too popular”, “Off Market: England’s oldest Christmas market visited by more than 300,000 people is scrapped over ‘safety risk’” and “England's oldest Christmas market is scrapped as Labour scrooges say it is too popular and would cause a 'safety risk'”.
The survey launched by Karl from today, is available online and as hard copies delivered across the City, and coincides to when the Market would have started. This survey asks for the views of the public and businesses on what format they believe future Christmas Markets should take in the future. That could include it being a ticketed event or being held over several weekends. Safety concerns are real but shouldn’t be used as a ‘shield’ by Labour Councillors as they rely on this to defend their indefensible decision to cancel a successful event that was great advertising for our City. It equated to probably millions of pounds of advertising spend and enhanced various sectors of our City and County’s economy - most notably hospitality, retail and tourism.
Lincoln MP, Karl, said: “From today until Sunday, our City should be welcoming people from all parts of the UK and further afield to our Christmas Market, but instead, the Labour City Council decided in secret to close it, permanently. Even though there are clear benefits for local jobs, shopkeepers and charities, as well as giving us the chance to bring the whole Lincoln community together.
“The short-sighted decision to permanently close our historic, world-famous and much-loved Market has had a huge and long-lasting impact. The City is being ridiculed nationally.
“It is why the decision has to be reversed and we need to ‘Bring Back Lincoln Christmas Market’.
“The survey I have launched asks business and my constituents in various locations across the City for their views on what changes they think need to be made to the format of the Market, if any.
“We cannot just accept this decision, but at the same time, we do need to sensibly consider what the future options are – including ticketing the event, or spreading the market over more weekends. The latter is normal both in the UK and abroad, including with our German Twin, Neustadt. Please do fill in, and share, the survey and let me know your views.”
The Survey can be found below.
Karl will be publishing a range of videos over the next four days from his Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/KarlMcCartneyLincoln/
