Setting the Arts Free

The arts are of incredible importance. They educate and promote understanding, make up a vital part of our economy and of course entertain millions no matter what age, background or taste. One thing that always amazes me about our neighbourhood is the variety of ways to access art and culture. Whether you want to visit a gallery in Hampstead, go to the theatre in Swiss Cottage or see a band on the Kilburn High Road there is always something to experience. I love the cultural diversity of our neighbourhood and city, and would hate to see it change.

I know that my view of the arts is shared by the Conservative Party and completely disagree with those who say that the Party plans to single out arts funding as a must cut. It's just not true.

While a future conservative Government would take steps to make savings and the arts may unfortunately have to share this burden, the Party is planning to support the arts through a variety of measures. First of all we need to make sure the money the government spends on the arts gets to where it's needed. At present the Arts Council of England spends 11% of its funds on its own administration. Like with the Conservatives' policies toward Education and Healthcare, we need to cut that unnecessary bureaucracy. Earlier this year Jeremy Hunt said that a Conservative Government would require organisations like the ACE and the Film Council to get their administration costs to 5%, a proposal I support.
A Conservative Government would also take steps to encourage organisations to establish endowments as a safeguard against harsher economic times. A simple way this can be done is by treating museums and galleries as cultural institutions and not government departments, the current "use it" or "lose it" culture means these institutions are forced to spend their funds rather than save them.

Furthermore, the Conservatives have pledged to make it easier for business and individuals to support the arts. At the moment many are discouraged because by the time the money gets to the individual's organisation of choice it has been through the Labour tax machine. A quick way to ease this process is to make Gift Aid less complicated and streamline the complex rules which determine whether a donation truly is a donation. This will help nurture a "giving culture"; if people believe their money is being used correctly they are more like to give in the first place.
Some people are worried that only the big institutions would benefit from these changes because only they would attract the investors. However I believe we can help small but still vital projects too through a refocused National Lottery. When John Major set up the national lottery one of its main aims was to support and encourage the arts and people's access to it. However during Labour's time in power the lottery has been hijacked by huge projects which have drained funds and its administration costs have expanded rapidly. A Conservative Government would take the National Lottery back to its original and very important purpose, to fund local arts, sports and culture projects which have a profound importance to the community. When combined with the 5% bureaucratic spending this would mean an extra £180million going to where it's really needed.

To conclude, a Conservative Government would give the arts the support it deserves through reducing bureaucracy and refocusing the funding system. By introducing fairer economic policies it is possible to encourage individuals and businesses to offer their support. This way we can help to ensure our neighbourhood and country's and cultural future.

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