COUNCIL bosses licking their wounds over the failure to win city status were today considering another bid -- but admitted they have no idea why they failed.

Blackburn with Darwen's failure to become a city this time round follows on from four previous knock-backs in 1935, 1951, 1977 and 1991. Brighton and Hove, Inverness and Wolverhampton were named as the new cities this week.

But council leader Malcolm Doherty said it was a "guessing game" what criteria were used to judge which bidders were worthy of city status. Coun Doherty said: "They don't tell you the criteria when you prepare your bid, you have to make your own mind up. And after that they don't tell you why the towns that were chosen were successful. And if you look at the three that got it they are entirely different. They are hardly three of a kind."

Home Secretary Jack Straw pledged he would try and make sure there was some feedback to the towns which lost out. He said: "I am sad Blackburn with Darwen's bid was not successful. I am sure they did everything they could. I don't think Blackburn suffered because I am Home Secretary. They have succeeded in several bids where it was appropriate."

He also said Conservative losses at the last general election meant many of the towns bidding for city status were Labour marginal seats.

Mr Straw added: "Labour represents almost all of England's urban areas. If you look down the list almost all the applicants had Labour MPs."

Brighton and Hove beat Blackburn with Darwen in the bid to become the first city with a double-barrelled name. The south coast resort, with Britain's first nudist beach and a large gay community spent £500,000 on its bid for city status.

The so-called capital of the Highlands, Inverness, has a population of around 50,000 -- just one fifth of Brighton and Wolverhampton -- and like Brighton relies heavily on tourism, particularly for people visiting nearby Loch Ness. The town now plans to use its new status to promote itself internationally and develop better transport links.

Wolverhampton, the third Millennium city named by the government, has suffered its fair share of industrial knocks over the last 40 years as aircraft and car industries declined. Like Blackburn, the former town also lost out in its bids to become a city in 1992 and 1974. In contrast Blackburn with Darwen produced an eight chapter glossy brochure describing the borough's history, economy and plans for the future, including the efforts at regeneration of its economy, overcoming the stigma of being the 41st most deprived area in England and Wales.

Senior council officials and members of the business community attended a send-off for the Blackburn with Darwen application at Blackburn Cathedral, overseen by Bishop of Blackburn Rt Rev Alan Chesters, back in August 1999.

Phil Watson, chief executive of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said a letter sent to the council by the Home Office had congratulated it on its bid despite its lack of success. It said: "We were particularly impressed by the description in your bid of Blackburn as a town that is making a great effort to regenerate its economy."

The letter told of the competition for four more towns to be made into cities for the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002 and called for suggestions about how the process could be improved.

Mr Watson said: "We have already said it took too long, and we are very likely to say that the criteria used for making a decision should be more transparent." He said it was likely the council would decide whether to formally apply for city status again in January.

A Home Office spokesman said no details of why Blackburn with Darwen missed out because the city status is a matter of "Royal prerogative", but added there would be discussions with the failed councils before the next bids in 2002.