The Stage

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12 Oct 2026

Arts face ‘far deeper’ cuts under Tories than party claims, analysis warns

Article
by
Katie Chambers

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A proposed £1bn cut to the government’s arts and culture budget by the Conservative Party would leave theatres and art galleries “at risk in every part of the country”, Campaign for the Arts has warned.

The advocacy body also said the creative industries could face “far deeper cuts” than the Conservative Party has indicated if it wins the next election.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch revealed earlier this month that her party would slash £1bn per year from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport if it came to power as part of spending cuts across government.

But Campaign for the Arts has since claimed that more detailed plans for the cutback “don’t add up”, and that the creative industries are “far more exposed than the Conservatives have acknowledged”.

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