The music and entertainment world has reacted to Nadine Dorries becoming the UK’s new Culture Secretary.
- READ MORE: ‘It’s going to be devastating’ – here’s how Brexit will screw up UK artists on tour
As part of Boris Johnson’s significant cabinet reshuffle yesterday (September 15), Dorries took over as head of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), replacing Oliver Dowden.
After Dorries’ nomination, many in the music and culture industry shared previous opinions and comments of the new leader, including when she claimed comedy was being killed by “snowflakes.” left” and that the BBC was “a biased left”. wing that is seriously lacking in its political representativeness, from top to bottom”.
A tweet, from 2017, has been widely shared since yesterday’s nomination. In it, Dorries wrote, “Left snowflakes are killing comedy, tearing down historic statues, stripping books from colleges, dumbing down the panto, stripping Christ from Christmas, and suppressing free speech. Unfortunately, this must be true, history repeats itself. Next will be the music.
Left wing snowflakes are killing comedy, tearing down historic statues, removing books from colleges, dumbing down the panto, removing the Christmas Christ and suppressing free speech. Unfortunately, this must be true, history repeats itself. Next will be the music.
— Nadine Dorries MP (@NadineDorries) December 27, 2017
“Our new Culture Secretary…” wrote Tim Burgess, the leader of The Charlatans, in sharing the tweet, while David Baddiel referenced Dorries’ historic stance on gay marriage.
“Not sure this view is going to recommend Nadine Dorries to many people who work in the creative arts,” he tweeted.
Our new culture secretary… pic.twitter.com/4Wuk5GFxYr
—Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) September 15, 2021
Not sure that view is going to recommend Nadine Dorries to many people who work in the creative arts. pic.twitter.com/c8pvRWeuZR
— David Baddiel (@Baddiel) September 15, 2021
Meanwhile, former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas wrote: “Nadine Dorries as Culture Secretary? Satire is dead.
See a series of reactions to the controversial nomination below.
Nadine Dorries as culture secretary? satire is dead#Redesign
— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) September 15, 2021
Secretary of Culture. https://t.co/N6OPbxUp87
— ed simons (@eddychemical) September 15, 2021
The arts are, at their core, about empathy.
Nadine Dorries is now Culture Secretary.—Stephen Mangan (@StephenMangan) September 15, 2021
Nadine. Dorries.
—Stephen Mangan (@StephenMangan) September 15, 2021
Anyway, congratulations to Penny Mordaunt – I mean, Nadine Dorries – on her promotion to the Ministry of Culture. pic.twitter.com/xJdlshgLnl
— Ash Sarkar (@AyoCaesar) September 15, 2021
Among the challenges Nadine Dorries will face is establishing what needs to be done after the recent streaming inquiry called for a “complete reset” of Spotify’s business models, and the ongoing row surrounding the lack arrangements for artists and crew wishing to tour post-Brexit Europe.
Music industry figures have hit back at the government’s recent declarations of victory by securing visa-free tours for British artists in 19 EU member states, accusing them of ‘spinning’ and ‘meaningless posturing’ “.
“Let’s be very clear: the UK government has not created any positive change by ‘engaging’ with individual EU states,” said Ian Smith of ukeartswork and the #CarryOnTouring campaign. “They were simply told the truth about what it means to be a third-country national without a visa. No matter who said what during the negotiations, we need action now and continued action!”
This month also saw an open letter to the government as a “rebuttal” to their visa applications widely shared on the internet.
Elsewhere in Downing Street, Boris Johnson this week outlined his winter COVID plan – including a potential ‘plan B’ for vaccine passports at major events.
The Prime Minister revealed the plans at a Downing Street press conference on Tuesday (September 14). In the speech, he said that while the government and its scientific advisers are “confident in the vaccines that have made such a difference in our lives”, they did not rule out new measures being put in place if “pressure unsustainable “. put on the NHS.
These potential measures include mask-wearing becoming compulsory again, staff being asked to work from home and vaccination passport certificates being required for events with more than 500 people.
