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Brexit resignations result in new culture boss in UK government
By Chris Cooke | Published on Tuesday 10 July 2018
After the big boys of Brexit launched their big battle against reality yesterday, the most Prime of all the British ministers – that’ll be Theresa Mayhem – got to do one of those ministerial reshuffles to fill the gaps left by the departing David Davis and Boris Johnson.
Jeremy Hunt got himself a promotion and therefore leaves the Department Of Health And Social Care to become Foreign Secretary, taking over from Johnson. It’s kind of extraordinary – given how much the average doctor and nurse hates the Hunt – that British ambassadors the world over will be hailing his arrival at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office simply by employing the solid logic of “anyone but Boris!”
But why is this music news? Well, because culture monkey and champion careerist Matty Hancock is leaving the Department For Digital, Culture, Media And Sport to take over from Hunt at Health. Which means the cultural industries – including music – have yet another Secretary Of State representing their sector in government.
Confirming the new top culture minister yesterday, Number Ten Downing Street tweeted that: “The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of the Rt Hon Jeremy Wright QC MP as Secretary Of State For Digital, Culture, Media And Sport”. So, you know, at least the Queen is pleased.
The MP for Kenilworth and Southam, Wright is a barrister by trade, though specialising in criminal law rather than anything to do with media or intellectual property. He’s most recently been using all those legal skills in his role as Attorney General, but will now get to schmooze up with all the country’s arty, techie and sporty types.
On the up side, Wright backed remain in the 2016 European Referendum, so at least he’ll be able to give a knowing sigh of hopelessness whenever some cultural type moans on about all the ways in which Brexit is going to screw up their pan-European activities. And I, for one, can’t wait for that. Let’s all sigh together.
So welcome to the DDCMS Mr Wright. Maybe don’t get too many business cards printed though. In the current political climate, few ministers seem likely to be in office all that long.
