Chris Bryant becomes culture minister

Chris Bryant has been appointed to Keir Starmer’s new Department for Culture, Media and Sport as a minister of state.  

Following his party’s landslide general election win, the Labour MP for Rhondda and Ogmore will assume the government position having been responsible for Labour’s creative industries and digital portfolio as a shadow minister.

Bryant has been vocal in recent weeks about widening access to arts for children from different backgrounds as a top priority in order to rebalance an industry he said was dominated by "hereditary" workers.

Speaking at an election hustings on cultural and creative industries organised by Creative UK, Bryant said: "The single most important thing you can do is make sure that every single child in every single school in Britain, whether they are at a private school or a public school, has a proper creative education. By which I mean art, drama, music; the whole panoply of the arts.

"That is the way that you get people going through into careers in the creative industries."

He added: "One of my anxieties over the past few years is that increasingly we have seen the creative industries becoming more and more dependent on those for whom it is effectively a hereditary career." 

Bryant’s concerns align with Labour’s manifesto promises to review the national curriculum with a focus on "broad" schooling, and to support every child in the country to study a creative subject until at least the age of 16. 

Incoming culture secretary Lisa Nandy congratulated Bryant, sharing on Twitter/X: "Chris brings the wealth of experience, expertise and passion we need to ensure the UK’s incredible creative and cultural sectors can flourish." 

Bryant will also assume the role of minister of state in the new government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Keir Starmer’s new government has announced. 

Commenting on his appointments on social media, Bryant said he was "delighted", adding: "So much to do."