Who is James Purnell?

Yes there he is – the New UK Culture Secretary in Gordon Brown’s cabinet. I love the thought of a secretary for culture, at my University the culture secretary was head of entertainment! I must admit it is a job I’d love but I do miss the old title “Minister for the Arts”, I guess Culture is a better title? But what “culture” is he minister of and what is the “culture” of the UK at the moment? It is actually seems like a very wide and difficult brief. Is it the job of government to preside over a countries culture? Personally I do think it is the job of government to set up the systems that monitor the various bodies that over see cultural issues, Ofcom etc. I think that clearly it is the job of government to oversee the public spend on all things cultural like the BBC, the national performing arts that are publicly funded and our great galleries and museums. It just seems that the title is like having a minister for religion which I sure any Prime Minister would run away from rather quickly. So what should we call the minister of Culture? Humm perhaps that’s it, there isn’t an alternative. Click here for the Guardian’s Biog. And here for the Face Book Entry mentioned in the Article.

I was delighted to reat this following table though
Size:
Old Cabinet 23, new Cabinet: 22
Women:
Old Cabinet 8, new Cabinet 5
Scots:
Old Cabinet 5, new Cabinet 4
Ministers over 60:
Old Cabinet 5, new Cabinet 1
Ministers under 40:
Old Cabinet 2, new Cabinet 5
Average age:
Old Cabinet 54, new Cabinet 49
Sacked, resigned or demoted: 10

The item in bold has made my day, I am still one year younger than the team running the country. I don’t mind young, fresh faced policemen but politicians, no thank you!