Arts centres could be subject to local referendums, and local people could be given more control over how central government funding is spent in their area, according to Shadow Culture Minister Ed Vaizey. Speaking at a conference exploring what culture policy might look like under a Tory government, Vaizey referred to a Conservative Green Paper, ‘Control Shift: Returning Power to Local Communities’, published in February this year. It proposes that local referendums could be triggered if at least 5% of ‘local citizens’ sign a petition over a period of six months. Vaizey said this could bring “both opportunities and threats for the cultural organisations funded by local authorities”, as those with strong links to their local communities could use it to protect their funding, while others could be vulnerable to attack. In England and Wales, the existing legislation of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 would allow local government to intervene in unpopular or costly projects funded by central agencies including arts councils, and recommend redirecting the funding if they feel there are “ways in which it could be better spent”.
