“We’ll let museums charge admission again, say Tories” according to the Mail on Sunday.Good.
Despite the negative tone of the headline (admission isn’t “free” – it costs £40m per year), I hope this makes it into official policy. It is not the role of the state to subsidise culture for culture’s sake.
Museums are not the NHS. It is not a matter of life and death if someone cannot get into the V&A without paying. Frankly, if what museums offer is of genuine value then they should have little problem charging a reasonable fee for admission – and if not, then why should I, a taxpayer, be forced to?
Here was the reaction of arch-lefty-luvvie Glenda Jackson (my italics):
“The policy of free access has been an enormous success and you have to ask, ‘Have they been looking at the figures on admissions? I really cannot understand the thinking behind it.” No dear, that’s the problem. Glenda was no doubt referring to the data from the DCMS that “the policy has generated an additional 29 million extra visitors for the 14 institutions that had previously charged.”
And their point would be? If you introduced a 100% subsidy for chocolate, then consumption would no doubt rocket, but so what? Instead of free entry to museums, I’d rather see that £40m put towards better equipment for our troops. That’s right Glenda, defence – the State’s primary role.
