Tessa Jowell’s letter (Stage Talk, April 5, page 9) contains hints of patronising double speak and is starkly at odds with statements from numerous others who are jumping up and down at the loss of funding for the arts, because the Lottery is losing so much cash to the Olympics. Miss Jowell’s stance is, ‘problem - what problem?’ She claims that no project will be adversely affected, even though millions of pounds will be lost. It reminded me of the correspondence I had with the DfES a few years ago about the dearth of children taking up musical instruments because of the high tuition costs, something that used to be as free as lessons in maths and English. The reply pointed me to a grant of X million pounds, which the department had just made to Leicestershire for music in schools. I knew the head of Leicestershire Arts at the time and consulted him on the matter. It was, indeed, true that this sum had been given but, at the same time, the department had withdrawn another fund of Y million pounds, and Leicestershire Arts were worse off than before. The DfES did not tell me that.
I make it a rule never to believe a word any secretary of state or minister, including the occupant of Number 10, states, unless it is corroborated by an independent source.
We have been constantly fed spin, half-truths and, possibly, downright untruths, for too long.
It is possible that Miss Jowell’s statistics are correct, but there is a popular definition of lies that lurks at the back of my mind.
Ted Bottle
Meadow Lane
Coalville
Leicestershire
Content is copyright © 2012 The Stage Media Company Limited unless otherwise stated.
All RSS feeds are published for personal, non-commercial use. (What’s RSS?)
