14:00PM GMT - Friday June 17th 2022: BIRMINGHAM, WEST MIDLANDS, UNITED KINGDOM

Kashmire Hawker, Co-Chair of the West Midlands Young Combined Authority, gives a statement responding to the announcement made by the European Broadcasting Union on the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.

"In noting today's announcement by the European Broadcasting Union - EBU, that the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest is unable to take place in Ukraine, I want to give my wholehearted and fullest solidarity to the Ukrainian People on continuing to fight against the indescribable suffering which they face.

As a viewer of the contest every year since 2011, it makes me naturally disappointed at Ukraine not being able to celebrate their victory, in the traditional manner of hosting the following year and I hope that once the conflict is over and once Russia is defeated, they will be invited to host once again.

If talks go well and a deal is struck by all parties to bring Eurovision back to British soil, as Co-Chair of a Board of 16-25-year-olds here in the West Midlands; which so splendidly hosted Israel's dramatic victory in 1998, I very much would encourage Birmingham City Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority to issue a formal invitation to host at either Resorts World Arena or Utilita Arena Birmingham.

With 2022's contest attracting 56.4% of Europe's 15-24-year-old population, Birmingham and the West Midlands being the youngest place on our continent and 2023 being 25 years since the above mentioned contest, it would be immensely fitting for one of the world's biggest annual events to return to our neck of the woods.

It would be one of the biggest and best spectacles ever seen and will not just showcase the power of music and the creative industries (right on the back of Coventry 2021 and Birmingham 2022 Festival), but also be a once in a generation driver in economic growth.

I hope discussions between the EBU, BBC and others work out and if they do, I hope that leaders in this wonderful place, seek to host a simply extraordinary event and make May 2023 a month to remember."

ENDS.