Blair’s Cultural Legacy of Free Museums and the Millennium Dome

Tony Blair became Prime Minister at a time when British designers, musicians and artists were passing through a rather fertile period. The new PM was a rather middle brow fellow culturally, although having played bass in a rock band distinguished him substantially from his predecessors Benjamin Disrael, Pitt the Younger and Lord Salisbury. The Arts, as opposed to pop culture, under Mr. Blair didn’t fare all that badly. The question, though, is whether he had anything constructive to do with it.

After 18 years of Conservative rule, a period when the arts were considered a waste of taxpayers money at best, Britain’s cultural infrastructure of museums and theatres was severely undermined. However, John Major as the last Tory PM was the man on whose watch a piece of the National Lottery pie was lavished on the arts. Mr. Blair entered Number 10 just as this revenue was having an effect. In London alone, there were renovations and improvements at the British Museum, the Royal Opera House, Sadler’s Wells Theater, the National Portrait Gallery and Tate Britain. At the same time, the Tate Modern arose on the South Bank of the Thames.

As mentioned in another article in this issue, Mr. Blair abolished entrance fees to 24 national galleries and museums. The government ponied up the dough to ensure budget cuts were unnecessary. As a result, these collections have seen attendance rise 53% since 1997. One can argue that government money shouldn’t be spent in such a way, but that would make one a philistine. If a nation is to be more than a market, it must have a culture. Some of the past, in that regard, is worth keeping. This policy sees that through.

On the downside, there is the Millennium Dome that is still in search of a purpose years after millions were spent on the damned thing. The 2012 Olympics are already well over budget, and secretly countless Parisians and New Yorkers are delighted to have been spared the games. The new Wembley stadium that opened months late (which caused numerous events to be canceled or postponed) foreshadowed what may lie ahead.

In the end, Mr. Blair made cultural diversions more accessible, and the notion that the arts were only worthwhile to the extent that businesses needed them for advertising and branding shifted while he was in office. A richer Britain is a Britain that can simply spend more on The Arts. Nevertheless, there is a sense of apathy. As music producer Alan McGee (Creation Records founder and discoverer of Oasis) said, “We probably made better music under the Tories. At least we had something to hate. People are just indifferent to a Labour government.” Finally, a reason to vote Conservative.

© Copyright 2007 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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