So the Department for Culture Media and Sport have been told to cut their budgets by 3%, and Arts Council England by a disproportionate 4%. As is usual with a Conservative government, and yes, I mean a Conservative government until I see signs of any true Liberal influence, the Arts gets hit as it is a luxury. However, lets look at some statistics shall we? UK cultural & creative industries constitute 9% GDP. Financial services constitute 13.5%. Now who caused this recession? Was it the Theatres, Galleries, Orchestras? Was it the visual artists, Singers, Poets, Authors? Jeremy Hunt, and I shall refrain from the cheap rhyming slang jibe...oh...too late, has announced that "frontline services" will be protected. What does that actually mean? It means that we will see no high profile museums or galleries closing, but there will be hundreds, maybe thousands of smaller, but equally valuable arts projects affected. These projects would help to produce the artists, writers and musicians of the future, they would continue to produce nearly a tenth of the GDP of this country. Not any more. OK, I understand, we have to cut budgets, and that we will all suffer to an extent, but I believe a society can be judged on it's cultures...yes cultures with an S...It irks me that our governments only seem to recognise on culture, we have plenty of them and we should celebrate all of them. Where however, is the bankers tax? Why are we not hitting the financial institutions that have been responsible for gambling with the family silver? If Dad goes and blows a week's wages at the bookies, is it right that the kids pocket money is used to buy food? Well this is what is happening, and it is, in my opinion, a disgrace. Mr Clegg and his colleagues are overseeing cultural destruction, but are willing to see the continuation of the bankers gravy train. I am not surprised, but just deeply disappointed in what I used to call my party for allowing this to happen.
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