Keir Starmer Urged to Champion Arts and Culture Funding in the UK
Keir Starmer is described as the most musical prime minister since Edward Heath and is urged to lead decisively on arts funding and policy in the UK. With a personal musical background and frequent discussions about music, it is argued that Starmer should now translate this interest into concrete action.
The UK's culture sector is portrayed as insecure and marginalised, with media outlets including the BBC contributing to its marginalisation. Educational inequality exacerbates this issue, as state-school students have significantly less access to the arts compared to their private-school counterparts. The Labour Party aims to centralise arts subjects within the curriculum to address this disparity.
Beyond funding, there exists a culture of meanness where many wealthy individuals and companies offer minimal sponsorship; government spending on culture faces pressure and is often treated as optional.
Margaret Hodge's Arts Council England (ACE) report highlights that Britain spends far less per capita on culture than most European countries. For instance, Greater Berlin's cultural spending exceeds the combined budgets of ACE and the London mayor. The Hodge blueprint urges integrating excellence with access, applying the logic of sports funding to the arts, and restructuring ACE leadership. It remains to be seen whether Starmer's government will implement these recommendations.
