Abolition of DCMS would be a ‘step backwards’ for museums

This article was first published by the Museums Association.

Rumours that the government is considering the abolition of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have sparked concern in the culture sector.

The Sunday Times political correspondent Tim Shipman reported this week that prime minister Keir Starmer’s team “wants to abolish the Department for Culture, Media and Sport — splitting it between the business department, the education department and the Treasury — allowing them to fire Lisa Nandy, the secretary of state”.

The changes under consideration are part of a “zero-based” review being undertaken by the UK Government, which will see every budget line across all departments scrutinised from scratch ahead of the Spending Review on 11 June.

DCMS directly funds 15 national museums and galleries, along with the Historic England and the British Library, and development agencies including Arts Council England (ACE).