Jet-setting labour minister favours photo ops over delivery for Welsh arts sector, it’s a grand life being a Government minister
Commenting following his spokesperson’s questions in the Welsh Parliament to the Labour Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport, Tom Giffard MS said:
“The National Theatre for Wales has been shamefully defunded by the Welsh Labour Government-funded Arts Council of Wales. An organisation that reaches tens of thousands of people defunded ahead of an English language theatre provision review. This is completely backwards.
“Labour’s own cooperation partners have even turned on them, stating that there is ‘no champion’ of the Arts in the Welsh Government.
“It is more important than ever that the Minister acts as a Champion for the Arts in the Welsh Government, but instead treats the role as an opportunity to travel the world, clocking up more chauffeur-driven Government car trips than any other Deputy Minister on top of a recent £30,000 visit to New Zealand.”
Dawn Bowden, the Labour Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism clocked up a total of 175 domestic ministerial car journeys in a single year, the most of any Deputy Minister in the Welsh Government.
The Labour Minister has enjoyed foreign trips to France and New Zealand at taxpayers’ expense and is frequently unavailable for comment in areas for which she is responsible for.
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