I was always deeply wary of a Labour MP called Tristram.
Still, a quick Google shows impeccable Labour credentials. Despite criticisms that Tristram Hunt was parachuted into a safe seat during the election, I merely harrumphed and gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Today, Mr Hunt argued that London Museums should start charging for entry again. This blog by Dawn Foster explains clearly why we should NOT - especially at a time where almost every other haven for the poor and dispossessed is either being closed or having it's funding slashed to the bones.
But well done "Tristram" for opening up yet another Tory door that even Tory HQ themselves were reticent to open.
Just what exactly does it take to make the sons of Lords realise that "a fiver" is not just a tip for the butler for most of us? That "a fiver" will almost certainly deter our poorest citizens from being able to enjoy our national culture as freely as the richest?
Could anything demonstrate more clearly how narrow the field of politics has become than two men named Hunt, neither of whom has the faintest idea about why our culture ought to be freely available to all?
I grew up in London and have fab memories of visiting museums when I was a kid. My parents were skint but they enriched my childhood with frequent visits to museums and galleries followed by a picnic in the London Parks (couldn't afford the tea room lol) I loved it!
ReplyDeleteMe too! Even now we can take our two boys for the BEST day out if we can get cheap advance bookings on the train. It costs less than doing most things locally.
ReplyDeleteThe magic of it!! Seeing those dinosaurs or walking into the National Gallery for the first time. Wow.
There is certainly no way my family would go again if they started charging.