Michelle Donelan is set to be UK’s new culture secretary
Michelle Donelan, the former Minister of State for Higher and Further Education, has been appointed as the UK’s latest culture secretary by new Prime Minister Liz Truss. According to the appointment, Donelan will supervise domains such as digital media, media practices, cultural affairs and sports events.
Donelan is set to follow Nadine Dorries, who had worked on condemnable projects such as the privatisation of Channel 4. According to Dorries, Truss had offered her the chance to continue working as the culture secretary, but she turned it down due to her allegiance to Boris Johnson.
Many have expressed concern about Donelan’s appointment due to her opinions on higher education. During the Johnson administration, Donelan planned on raising the fees for graduate students. She explained: “Every pound that a graduate doesn’t pay back, the taxpayer has to pay back. Somebody has to pay this.”
“It’s not free money at the end of the day. So what we want to do is try to get that balanced fairer between the taxpayer and the graduate,” she added. “This is not a graduate tax, this is a loan that people have taken out and invested in themselves to enable them to go to higher education.” She did not address the fact that university fees were heavily subsidised by tax money during her time.
This is what the former Minister of State for Higher and Further Education once said: “Higher education is not always the best route, depending on what you want to achieve”. In addition, Donelan has previously launched anti-intellectual attacks against university culture, which says everything there is to say about the new culture secretary.
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.