Political leaders in Liverpool are looking for guarantees that the selection of a new location for the English National Opera will be transparent and free from political meddling.
Arts Council England has warned the opera company that staying in London will result in the loss of its public funding.
Along with Manchester and Birmingham, Liverpool is a finalist for its new headquarters.
The decision-making process was described as "complicated" by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram.
Mr. Rotheram and Liverpool City Council leader Liam Robinson wrote to Lord Parkinson informing him that it would be "an honor" to bring the English National Opera (ENO) to Liverpool, a city with "an unmatched musical heritage.".
"As the home of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, and as a Unesco City of Music, our city goes hand in glove with the goals of the ENO and its drive to bring opera to the masses," the letter stated.
"Despite the fact that opera is very popular in the city region, there are currently 1 point 6 million residents who are not served by it. ".
The statement continued, "Touring performances by the Welsh National Opera and Glyndebourne have frequently been very well received, but their withdrawal has left this area of the North West—which extends beyond our city region and into places like Cheshire—opera-free.
"In fact, of the shortlisted areas, ours is the only one that currently has no opera provision and the only core city that does not have any touring opera funded by the Arts Council. ".
A very well-received partnership with the ENO at the fan village was part of Liverpool's hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest last month on behalf of Ukraine.
The government, the Arts Council, and the ENO were listed as participants in the letter, which claimed that the bidding process had been complicated thus far.
The Labour politicians claimed they were interested in knowing precisely who will be selecting a new site as the chosen one.
In addition, the letter made mention of rumors that government representatives had attempted to exert pressure so that Manchester's or Birmingham's bid would be successful as "an addendum to their Trailblazer Devolution deals.".
Mr. Rotheram and Mr. Robinson demanded confirmations that these allegations lacked merit.
The letter's conclusion stated: "We would appreciate it if you could clarify some of the ambiguity surrounding the bidding process and provide your assurances that the best bid will be accepted.
"We are confident that the ENO will soon be residing in the Liverpool City Region if the process is carried out on truly level playing fields. ".
A request for comment has been made to the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport, Arts Council England, and ENO. .
A representative for the ENO stated: "Arts Council England (ACE) has explicitly stated that the ENO's future funding is contingent on us moving.
"As we go through their process, our top priority is figuring out how to maintain our 300-strong specialist workforce, which has been amassed over many years.
As discussions with regional leaders about establishing a base for great work outside of London continue, ACE must make sure the ENO has adequate funding to continue providing the world-class opera audiences are accustomed to.
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