These are the 38 towns Milton Keynes will be competing against for city status this year

Milton Keynes is one of 39 towns applying for city status as part of the Queen’s 2022 Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

It is our fourth bid to become an official city but we are up against some stiff competition.

This includes Guildford in Surrey, Medway in Kent, Dorchester in Dorset, and Boston in Lincolnshire. Neighbouring Northampton is also applying.

The competition is being run as part of the celebrations for the Queen’s 2022 Platinum Jubilee. For the first time, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are also included - and this means locations in the Cayman Islands, Gibraltar and the Falklands are among the 39 contenders.

Stanley in the Falkland Islands, almost 8,000 miles away, was one of the places to apply

In another first for the competition, an expert panel will work with Ministers to make recommendations, before being approved by Her Majesty The Queen.

Winning city status can provide a boost to local communities and open up new opportunities for people who live there, as is the case with previous winners Perth and Preston where the local economies benefited from their improved national and global standing.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay said: "City status is not only about local pride, it can deliver real levelling up benefits for businesses and the local area which is clear from the high number of applications. A sincere best of luck to all those who have applied.”

He added: "It’s fitting that, as we look towards celebrating the 70 year reign of Her Majesty the Queen, we extend the competition to include those parts of the world which also hold her so dearly."

All applicants were asked to talk about the distinct identity and community which they felt meant that their area deserved to become a city, as well as the royal associations of their area.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: "Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee is an exciting chance for local areas to become cities and level up opportunities for all. As well as fostering local pride and potential, this competition is a great way to mark Her Majesty's 70 year reign.

"I wish all entries the best of luck. 2022 is set to be a year of pride, celebration and coming together with the four-day weekend for the Platinum Jubilee alongside other blockbuster events including the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Unboxed, championing creativity in the UK."

The final decision will be taken in Spring and announced shortly afterwards as part of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The full lists of applicants:

Alcester, Warwickshire

Ballymena, County Antrim

Bangor, County Down

Blackburn, Lancashire

Bolsover, Derbyshire

Boston, Lincolnshire

Bournemouth, Dorset

Coleraine, County Londonderry

Colchester, Essex

Crawley, West Sussex

Crewe, Cheshire

Doncaster, South Yorkshire

Dorchester, Dorset

Douglas, Isle of Man

Dudley, West Midlands

Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway

Dunfermline, Fife

Elgin, Moray

George Town, Cayman Islands

Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Goole, East Yorkshire

Greenock, Renfrewshire

Guildford, Surrey

Livingston, West Lothian

Marazion, Cornwall

Medway, Kent

Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

Newport and Carisbrooke, Hampshire

Northampton, Northamptonshire

Oban, Argyll and Bute

Reading, Berkshire

Peel, Isle of Man

St Andrews, Fife

Stanley, Falkland Islands

South Ayrshire, Ayrshire and Arran

Warrington, Cheshire

Warwick, Warwickshire

Wrexham, Clwyd