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Those in the running to become the UK's next Prime Minister have said little about the arts, writes Ed Vaizey. Could Boris Johnson be the sector's best bet?

"The governing party (I use the term loosely) in the UK, the Conservatives, are currently holding a leadership election. Theresa May has stepped down as prime minister following a lamentable three-year stewardship. Whoever succeeds her as Conservative leader will automatically become prime minister, saddled with the joyful task of delivering Brexit and healing a divided nation.
We are left with the final two candidates, whittled down from a list of 13: the ex-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, and his successor, Jeremy Hunt. Safe to say, the arts and cultural policy have not featured highly in the many debates and hustings that have taken place in the last few weeks of campaigning. Nevertheless, there is some hope for the arts, when one analyses the background of the main contenders.
Boris Johnson is currently the runaway favourite to seize the crown. Like that quintessential British spread, Marmite, Johnson, to put it mildly, divides opinion. But a Johnson premiership could be grounds for hope, at least for the arts." ... Keep reading on The Art Newspaper