The financial outlook for the arts is gloomy in Britain, irrespective of who wins the general election on 7 May. Predicting which of the two major parties, Conservative and Labour, will head the government is impossible but it looks quite likely that there may be another coalition government, perhaps with the Liberal Democrats or Scottish Nationalists.
The one bright sign for culture was the Labour leader Ed Miliband’s speech at Battersea Arts Centre on 23 February. He pledged to set up a Prime Minister’s committee on the arts, culture and creative industries, to ensure that the voice of the arts is heard “at the very heart of government”.
Whoever takes over, there are likely to be cuts to culture budgets, so the only question is whether these will be large or small. Last month the Institute for Fiscal Studies, an independent research body, suggested that if David Cameron is re-elected then total government spending might be cut by 14% (in real terms, after inflation) over the next five years. Labour’s plans under Miliband suggest a much lower cut, just over 1%. The Conservatives and Labour are likely to ring fence some sectors, such as health, so the arts may end up being cut more.
This will be on top of cuts already imposed by Cameron’s 2010-15 government. For most national museums, this has led to a reduction in grants of nearly 30% (in real terms, taking inflation into account). Arts Council England has been hit even harder. The Labour Party has already made it clear that it will not reinstate Conservative cuts to the arts.
There is a further factor in the equation that will have an impact on culture funding. All the UK-wide parties that responded to our requests to explain their arts policies stress that they want to reduce the imbalance between arts spending in London and in the rest of England (government arts funding in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is decentralised). Although the Conservatives chose not to respond to our queries, they too are committed to more geographically equitable arts funding.
A recent independent report, Rebalancing our Cultural Capital, showed that Arts Council England and culture department funding per head in London was £69 a year, compared with less than £5 in the rest of England. These figures are to some extent distorted by the fact that most national bodies are based in London, although they are increasingly involved in outreach activities in the rest of the country. Nevertheless the enormous disparity has sparked off considerable debate and there is a widespread feeling that this must be addressed.
However, it seems that free admission to national museums (which are mainly based in London) will remain in place. Free admission was reintroduced in 2001 by the last Labour government, but all the major parties now accept that this was the right decision.
The pressure for a better regional balance in funding will therefore be primarily on the Arts Council. With limited resources, its main option is to cut budgets for London recipients in order to increase those in the regions (with inflation, even maintaining grants at existing levels means a fall in real terms). Redressing the regional imbalances looks set to become the major challenge for arts policymakers during the next parliament.
Internationally, there are two arts issues that are likely to dominate the agenda. The first is the threat to culture caused by conflict, particularly in the Middle East. The UK has still not signed the 1954 Hague Convention on the protection of cultural property during armed conflict, although all major parties are committed to signature. Under the Conservatives, finding parliamentary time to approve the Hague Convention seemed a low priority.
The other issue will be global co-operation, with UK museums and arts institutions keen to further develop their international links. A key question is whether this will be aimed primarily at profitable areas (such as the Gulf) or to the regions where there is the greatest need.
What the parties say they will do for the arts
Conservatives: Declined to respond
Liberal Democrats (statement): “The arts are an absolutely essential part of the well-being and personal fulfilment of the nation… we will make sure that the arts continue to be open to everyone by guaranteeing that galleries and museums continue to give free access… art is just one of the areas in which there is an imbalance between London and the rest of the country. We will fight hard to resolve this discrepancy.”
Labour, Chris Bryant MP, shadow culture minister: “It is going to be tough when there is less money to spend, but we are determined to expand access to the arts… we want to see far greater devolution of the arts budget so that we have fairer funding to local authorities in all parts of the country, not just in London.”
Green, Martin Dobson, culture spokesman: “We view arts funding as a sound investment… there is currently an imbalance in arts funding… we would support the careful redistribution of cultural resources from London to the rest of the UK so that the whole population can benefit from the arts.”
Ukip, Peter Whittle, culture spokesman: “Attempts by successive governments to create a culture of private giving and philanthropy, to exist side by side with public funding of the arts, have tended to fail because they have been half-hearted… there is a justifiable sense now that there is an overwhelming London-centricism, which is not helped by what appears to be an arrogant and condescending attitude to the rest of the country… we would certainly make it a priority to redress the balance.”
Plaid Cymru, Ian Johnson, head of policy: “We are strongly opposed to the austerity that has been forced upon public services in recent years. This includes the arts…investment in the arts produces substantial returns, both financially and culturally. The cuts therefore make neither financial nor artistic sense… as the party of Wales, we know that Wales is a bilingual and bi-cultural nation, and our arts and media policies reflect this reality.”
Scottish Nationalists, Peter Wishart MP, culture spokesman: “We have aspired to be the most culturally ambitious government Scotland has ever had. To that end, the Scottish Nationalist Party government is increasing the arts budget in Scotland from £151m in 2014/15 to £175m next year. The Westminster parties currently appear to be competing over who can be most hostile to the arts. By contrast we are determined to help the arts flourish in Scotland.”