Andrew Dismore

Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden Andrew Dismore has excoriated Barnet Council for not bidding to become the London Borough of Culture (LBC). The winner of the LBC competition is set to receive funding for a “game changing” cultural programme. Mr Dismore said that Barnet Council’s lack of desire to bid was “symptomatic of the Council Conservative administration’s lack of ambition and disinterest in arts and culture.

 

He said:

 

‘Barnet has become a dried-up husk of a council. There is just no effort anymore, they don’t even try to do anything to make it a better borough to live in. It started with their curmudgeonly response to the London Olympics, continued with my GLA predecessor Brian Coleman, who famously said “we don’t do culture in Barnet” and I am sure he will be delighted to know that his spirit lives on with the current administration!

 

‘Really they can’t be bothered anymore, they are out of ideas and are just a clapped-out old banger of an administration. This is a great opportunity to rebuild our arts and culture offer, after the slashing of the library service and the closure of Church Farmhouse Museum. We still have the RAF Museum, Barnet Museum, the Arts Depot, Phoenix Cinema and local theatres, as well as very talented students in schools like Friern Barnet, who’s Glee club won the prestigious Jack Petchey award a few years ago. They are letting all this down.

 

‘I contrast this with the other part of my constituency Camden, a Labour-run council. Admittedly, there always has been much more arts and cultural assets there, and a real desire among residents to nurture and support creative industries. But the Council never cut its arts programme as much as Barnet, who were doing so well before austerity. It is an excellent contrast of the vibrant and well-led Camden against the tired and grey Barnet. Barnet really needs a Labour administration next year to sweep away the cobwebs’