Tories a 'brazen threat' to arts - Bradshaw

CULTURE Secretary Ben Bradshaw has sent out a rallying call to culture "luvvies", as he warned a Conservative election victory would dramatically change the Government's relationship with the BBC and the arts, writes the WMN's Louise Vennells.

The Exeter MP warned a Tory administration would mean a " brazen threat" to the independence of the Arts Council England, and the end of a decades-long "arm's length" relationship with the BBC.

He said the Conservative policy to "tear up" the licence fee represented an "unprecedented assault" beyond what even Margaret Thatcher had contemplated.

In his speech to Labour pressure group Progress, Mr Bradshaw warned of "savage cuts combined with Philistinism and political interference", and said: "We need a few more luvvies to be jumping up and down about it because that is not happening at the moment. I am trying to provoke them into doing it.

"We should be hearing far more noise from the BBC's supporters about these brazen threats to its independence."

He said David Cameron's premiership would mean media policy was aligned to Rupert Murdoch's News International.

He said too many people were "sleepwalking" towards a change at the next election, without considering the "negative consequences".

He criticised Mr Cameron, and said he had called for communications regulator Ofcom to be dismembered just as it was examining Sky's dominance of sport and film on pay television.

He predicted "an almighty row" when Ofcom completes its review, due shortly, of the sporting events that should be broadcast free to air.

And he said Mr Cameron had backed Mr Murdoch's call for an end to impartiality in broadcast news, which he said would "would pave the way for a UK version of Fox News".

He said he was "amazed there had not been more uproar" about London Mayor Boris Johnson's bid to appoint former Evening Standard editor Veronica Wadley as chairman of the London Arts Council in preference to the three shortlisted candidates, which was vetoed by Mr Bradshaw.

He said: "The arm's length principle goes back decades. It would appear they are showing absolutely no regard for it whatsoever, which would be devastating for the credibility of the quality of the arts."

Mr Bradshaw's comments come after he was critical of the management structure of the BBC, and appear to indicate a softening of his approach towards the corporation.

He said the current BBC review of its journalism was likely to end with "a rededication to some of its traditional commitment to high-quality journalism, and an end to the pack mentality that has marked much of its output".