ANY bid for city status (whatever its merits) is doomed to failure and the reason should be obvious.

The council has not yet signed off its statement of accounts for 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20.

What message would it send out to other towns and councils up and down the country if Warrington were granted city status?

That it doesn’t matter if the auditor, in this case Grant Thornton, is not happy with your accounts because you can still be rewarded with city status?

Clearly that is not going to happen.

If the council continues with its bid it will fail and, although a reason will not be given, it will be obvious to everyone what the reason is.

Warrington would not be the first town to change its mind about bidding for city status.

Swindon Borough Council had a change of heart in October last year after a poll of residents revealed that 71 per cent of people were opposed to the idea.

Also, if Warrington is to bid for city status it needs cross-party support and it seems highly unlikely that the Tories, the Lib Dems and the Independents will go along with it.

One also wonders how many Labour councillors are fully behind any such bid.

There is no shame in not being a city.

Let’s all work together to make Warrington the best town in the country.

That would be something to be proud of.

GARY SLATER Penketh