Good morning,

24-hours after our petition began, Preston's MP Sir Mark Hendrick slotted a letter into Lisa Nandy's in-tray about the future of the Guild Hall and the lack of a major venue in the city. 

A response came from Ian Murray MP, the minister, and it's a classic deflection. Despite the government announcing the £130m Arts Everywhere fund last week (with £0 for Preston), it was a 'it's not us, it's them' response. See the full response from the minister.

It would appear Arts Council England is where any potential funding source may be for either repair or rebuild of a major venue for the city.

So we go again, our petition now calls on Arts Council England the chief executive Darren Henley to look at what they can do. We are well aware this won't be solved overnight, but it's important the decision-makers know the appetite and frustration there is about the Guild Hall situation.

Thanks for signing the original petition and we hope you can share it on - think of five people you know who would want a major venue in Preston again. We're so close to 3,000 signatures now.

Ed, Luke, Kate and Team BP