A Cuture Secretary’s very short memory
NewsIn The Times today, Lord Smith of Finsbury argues that ENO (of which he is a board member) needs to be saved because it is doing ‘outstanding and innovative artistic work in recent years’.
In November 1997 the then-Chris Smith, culture secretary in Tony Blair’s new Cabinet, thought differently. He piled on political pressure to merge English National Opera with the Royal Opera and the Royal Ballet under a single roof – a move that would have abolished ENO.
So what changed his mind?
Amnesia?
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