Serota speaks out

 Nicholas Serota, Director of Tate, has warned that museums could be forced to close for two days a week under the “blitzkrieg” on the arts, in “the greatest crisis in the arts and heritage since government funding began”. Serota has denounced the hypocrisy of the cabinet. He quotes Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s statement that “the idea that you can cut a £180bn deficit by slicing money out of the DCMS is frankly absurd”, to highlight the need for ministers to reconsider the size and pace of cuts to arts funding. Serota describes Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt as “a thoughtful man who clearly values and cares for culture”, but said that cuts of 25 to 30% would “threaten the whole eco-system”.