11:28

A government minister facing criticism after announcing a ‘Town of The Year’ competition in a city has claimed that it was not the official launch which will take place later this year.

Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, defended statements about the city of Wolverhampton from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, which described it as a town on two occasions.

Nineteen years ago Wolverhampton was one of three towns named as a Millennium 2000 City after a decade-long campaign by local MPs and councillors, fighting off competition from 36 other places.

The disclosure in the Guardian was particularly embarrassing for Jenrick, who was born and educated in Wolverhampton, which became a city when he was 18. Civic figures have claimed it is proof that the Tories are paying lip service to the UK’s struggling towns.

In an interview with Sky News on Thursday, Jenrick claimed that his department did not get it wrong and denied that he did not know that Wolverhampton was a city. He said:

We didn’t launch this competition in Wolverhampton. Having been born and bred in Wolverhampton I don’t need the Guardian to tell me that it was a town and is now a city. I was living in the town when it became a city.

Jenrick’s claims that the competition has not yet been launched appear to be contradicted by his own departmental press release which was sent to the media on Wednesday. It reads: “Communities secretary announces new Town of the Year competition to celebrate thriving towns.” It goes on to say Jenrick would be in Wolverhampton and quotes him as saying: “To celebrate the achievements of our towns, we are launching a national Town of the Year competition.”

Andrew Gwynne, the shadow communities secretary, said:

This whole announcement has been a farce, but the real tragedy is whether in towns or cities our communities are struggling after a decade of cuts. Instead of pitting towns or cities against each other in a beauty contest - the government should be properly funding our vital public services.