Lisa Nandy: Culture department to lead less divisive vision of UK

LISA NANDY, in her inaugural speech as culture secretary, declared that the "era of culture wars is over." She stressed that her department will spearhead efforts to promote a more positive and inclusive vision of the country, reported The Guardian.

“For too long, many have felt that our national narrative doesn’t represent them or their communities,” Nandy told the staff at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

“This lack of representation fosters division and isolation. We've found numerous ways to segregate ourselves, losing the sense of an outward-looking, self-confident nation that values its people everywhere in the UK. Changing this narrative is the mission of this department. The era of culture wars is over.”

Nandy, who was appointed culture secretary after Thangam Debbonaire lost her Bristol seat to the Greens, added that the Labour government will be different. Her focus will be on celebrating British culture and stories rather than engaging in conflicts with institutions.

In her speech, Nandy also highlighted the goal of making culture more inclusive. She shared a story about women from a council estate in Wigan, her constituency, who hired a coach to see a play in Manchester about women in the 1980s miners’ strike.

“It was a story that had been told about their lives so many times without them in it. And it was magical to see their response to being put at the centre of their own story again," she was quoted as saying.

“That is how I intend us to serve our country – celebrating and championing the diversity and rich inheritance of our communities and the people in them.”

Nandy added, “Governments don’t define this country – its people do. Whether it's investing in grassroots sports, symbolising the value of our young people in every community, or enabling talented working-class kids to succeed in drama, dance, or journalism – we will be a government that supports them as they build the country I’ve always believed in but never quite seen.”

She concluded by stressing the importance of her department in this mission, telling the staff, “Working with you to achieve this will be the privilege of my life. I’ll be asking more of you than ever before, but I promise that if you give it your all, I will always have your back.”

Over the 14 years of Tory rule, there were 12 culture secretaries, many of whom spent considerable time feuding with the BBC or clashing with organizations like the National Trust.

Nadine Dorries, a notable figure under Boris Johnson, criticised the BBC as biased and staffed by people “whose mum and dad worked there.”

The most recent Tory culture secretary, Lucy Frazer, lost her Cambridgeshire seat to the Liberal Democrats and has been succeeded as shadow culture secretary by Julia Lopez.