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Council's city of culture meeting pulled by Sinn Féin

 Lord Mayor of Belfast, Nuala McAllister, and the Mayor of Derry Maolíosa McHugh, at the launch of the joint European Capital of Culture bid
Lord Mayor of Belfast, Nuala McAllister, and the Mayor of Derry Maolíosa McHugh, at the launch of the joint European Capital of Culture bid Lord Mayor of Belfast, Nuala McAllister, and the Mayor of Derry Maolíosa McHugh, at the launch of the joint European Capital of Culture bid

Sinn Féin has pulled its proposal for a special meeting of Belfast City Council to discuss the blocking of a capital of culture bid.

Belfast and Derry spent £350,000 on their joint bid to be 2023 European Capital of Culture which has been curtailed by Brexit.

Brussels cancelled the UK's turn to host the European Capital of Culture in six years' time because it is leaving the EU in 2019.

A joint pitch from Belfast and Derry-Strabane councils was among five bids for the title including Nottingham and Leeds.

The Irish News revealed in October warnings within Brussels that Capital of Culture plans could be derailed by Brexit.

And last month, the European Commission confirmed the UK would no longer be eligible, saying it was "one of the many concrete consequences" of leaving the EU.

Politicians reacted with fury over the decision and called for the north to be "treated as a special case".

Sinn Féin wanted a special meeting of Belfast City last night.

Councillor Jim McVeigh said it was pulling the meeting as the council had already agreed to lead a cross-party delegation, along with business and civic leaders to Brussels "to lobby to have the decision to exclude us from the European Capital competition".

"We welcome this decision and will be urging the Chief Executive to organise the delegation to Brussels as soon as possible," he said.

"The north of Ireland is clearly a special case given the majority of citizens here voted to remain in the EU and wish to be treated as European citizens."