The Art Newspaper | Martin Bailey
Museums could well be the winners, whichever party is victorious in the UK’s general election tomorrow (8 June). In a surprise move, both the Conservative and Labour parties have made manifesto pledges to create a new funding stream for the arts.
The Labour party’s manifesto, masterminded by its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, says that a Labour government would set up a £1bn cultural capital fund “to upgrade our existing cultural and creative infrastructure to be ready for the digital age”. The manifesto says that the fund “would be administered by the Arts Council”, with the money being paid out over a five-year period—equivalent to an extra £200m a year for the arts. The fund would have “a particular focus on projects that could increase museums’ and galleries’ income and viability”. The party’s special cultural manifesto, published on 22 May, stated that the fund would be “among the biggest arts infrastructure projects ever”… Read more
Images: The prime minister, Theresa May, calls a general election, claiming that opposition parties are jeopardising Brexit negotiations. Photo: PA Wire/PA Images