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UK has yet another top minister for culture
By Chris Cooke | Published on Thursday 9 February 2023
The UK government has a new Secretary Of State for all things culture. Lucy Frazer is the eleventh Conservative politician to take on that job in the last decade.
It’s fun, isn’t it, that so many politicians want to run the government’s Department For Digital, Culture, Media And Sport? They really do love all things digital, culture, media and sport these politicians. Providing they don’t have to love it for too long.
Actually, Frazer is not running the Department For Digital, Culture, Media And Sport. Because that department has just been renamed the Department For Culture, Media & Sport. What’s happened to the digital bit?
Well, “a re-focused Department For Culture, Media And Sport will recognise the importance of these industries to our economy and build on the UK’s position as a global leader in the creative arts”, says a government statement. So, that explains everything, clearly.
“Absolutely delighted to be appointed Secretary Of State at the Department Of Culture, Media And Sport”, Frazer declared via digital channels earlier this week, without referencing the removal of the digital responsibilities of said department.
“Such a critical dept in Whitehall”, she went on, “and the home of some of the most exciting and fastest growing parts of the UK economy – so can’t wait to get stuck in”.
The government department Frazer is now running was the Department For Culture, Media And Sport until 2017, when its remit was extended to cover digital matters, adding a ‘D’ to its abbreviated name – ie DCMS.
Although big digital companies and the music, media and other cultural businesses are sometimes at odds – especially on things like copyright – there was a definite logic to having ministers dealing with digital matters in the same building as those focused on culture, media and sport.
Quite how the department’s digital responsibilities will be distributed across government moving forward isn’t entirely clear, given a number of other departments have also been rejigged this week. We shall see, I guess.
The music industry has recently expressed frustration that its dealings with government are routinely split across multiple departments and ministers, depending on whether they are talking about copyright, digital platforms, funding, venue and event licensing, touring and visas, music education, or whatever.
The culture select committee in Parliament recently called for more joined up thinking within government when dealing with music matters – and the wider creative industries – proposing that what is now the Department Of Culture, Media And Sport should lead on all that. It remains to be seen if Frazer runs with that proposal.
It has to be said that her choice of emojis in that social media post earlier this week doesn’t suggest music is a top priority. Though, I guess, we shouldn’t infer government priorities based on emojis alone. Even if their emojis are usually easier to understand than the waffly bullshit they put in their written statements.
But hey, new department, new minister, new era, it’s all going to be great I’m sure! And if it isn’t, there’ll presumably be another culture minister in place within the year anyway. And maybe they’ll employ a musical emoji when they accept the job.
