News that Leeds is into the last three cities for the Channel 4 relocation has been hailed by MP Alex Sobel.
The channel will move 300 staff out of London to a national headquarters and two "creative hubs". Leeds is competing with Manchester and Birmingham to become the new HQ whilst also being still in the hunt for a creative hub with five other cities.
Mr Sobel, MP for Leeds North West has been an outspoken advocate for Leeds having lobbied for the city’s bid in a parliamentary debate. In Westminster Hall he said: “We have the infrastructure, we have Sky, we have Perform and we have Yorkshire TV. We have Rockstar Leeds.(…) We have Pace and ARRIS in Saltaire, which power internet and TV for hundreds of millions of people globally. We have the people and we have the infrastructure.”
Alex Sobel believes that Leeds is the most deserving of the shortlisted cities to host Channel 4, he said “Manchester and Birmingham have both been recipients of many big opportunities in recent years, particularly with the BBC relocation to Salford. With our universities providing new talent each year, thriving city centre, and high quality of life, Leeds is a city on the move and we are seeing many modern firms choose us as the best place to grow and develop.
Leeds is culturally significant too. We are an increasingly popular choice for location scouts and are home to popular screen writers such as Kay Mellor. I believe if it wasn’t for Brexit we would have been the next European Capital of Culture. We are a centre for digital marketing, streaming and technology services and High-Speed internet. Leeds is the only choice for channel 4.”