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DR HOGGART' S FAREWELL Peter Smith DR HOGGART' S FAREWELL Peter Smith Although Richard Hoggart is upset at hav- Hoggart had served six years. The last two ing been dropped as vice-chair of the Arts were served as vice-chair. It was expected Council he is deriving comfort from the fris- that Hoggart would be asked to stay on a son of martyrdom that comes from the year or so more because in a few months' knowledge that the decision to axe him was time chairperson Kenneth Robinson (and taken by Margaret Thatcher. Why should now a member of the SDP) retires. It was she be bothered about the vice-chair of the thought that all the powers that be would Arts Council? recognise the expediency of keeping Hog- The Arts Council proper consists of a gart on to give a continuity of leadership. chairperson, currently Kenneth Robinson, And, irrespective of what one thinks of Hog- and twenty members. These twenty-one gart's political or artistic views, he has had people are allegedly appointed by the Minis- the guts to lead with his chin: he was the Arts ter for the Arts in the name of the Secretary Council's 'hit man'. He wrote many articles of State for Education and Science. The defending the Council's work and policy vice-chairperson of the Council is filled' and has been publicly critical of the manner from among the members of the Council — in which the press deals with the issue of in other words, they vote one of themselves public funding for the arts. Yet, whilst Hog- into the job. The running of the Art Coun- gart has scorned rightwing critics like cil's work is carried out by full-time officers George Gale, the pugilist columnist of the under the direction of the secretary-general, Daily Express, he has been equally scornful currently Sir Roy Shaw, a friend of Richard of issues dear to the Left. Hoggart is scep- Hoggart. Both of them are working-class tical about ideas for democratising the Arts lads made good and both are centre-Labour Council; he is critical of the community arts in politics. Generally a Council member policy (which the Arts Council during the serves three years and then is dropped. last two years has devolved to the regional There is meant to be a steady turnover in arts associations); and wary of jumping in membership to prevent the Council from too far with multi-cultural arts. He is not a ossifying. radical. But, when the Arts Council had to 32 March 1982 Marxism Today make its cuts to forty-one organisations last of vice-chair needs the Government's year it was Hoggart who argued in public approval.) that the blame lay with the Government and The side issue to this is Paul Channon. not the Council. Channon is the Arts Minister, responsible There is no real mystery about his depar- for the Office of Arts and Libraries which is ture. Consider that the person whom the a broom cupboard of the Department of Government must have in mind to replace Education and Science. Channon's prede- Robinson is bound to be a Conservative and cessor, Norman St John-Stevas, took the most probably connected with business or Arts ministry away from the DES and finance. S/he will be a person who will want started developing it into an autonomous to mute criticism of the Government. Until entity but when Stevas was sacked the Arts now, aided and abetted by Hoggart, Roy went back to the DES. However, Channon Shaw (and Robinson) have been quite vocal was proud that, despite being a junior minis- in attacking the Government and since Shaw ter in the DES, he had a letter from the could not be dismissed the alliance had to be Prime Minister guaranteeing his 'independ- broken up by seizing the first opportunity ence' in all matters relating to the arts. Yet it for dropping Hoggart. Hoggart was dished was not Channon's wish to drop Hoggart; as much by his friendship with Shaw as for and it is not Channon's civil servants who his politics. Roy Shaw is now much on his carried out a trawl for replacement members own. And whilst the Government is unlikely for Hoggart and other vacancies. Sir Keith to feel threatened by attacks on its arts policy Joseph is the Minister who is doing the it must stop or damp down criticism of its Prime Minister's bidding. Channon's letter financial policy wherever possible. It from Thatcher says that he has the right of remains to be seen whether Thatcher is also direct access to her. Presumably she shouts intent on trying to curb Arts Council fund- 'Boy!' and Paul comes running. It is bad ing in the more 'radical' areas of its work. news for the arts because it is a watering (Incidentally, any hope that the Council will down of the arm's length principle that kept replace Hoggart with a 'leftish' member can the arts a safe(ish) distance from be quashed by the fact that the appointment Government. D.
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