1/ “Billions wasted on ... DCMS”
2/ Its a funny position to take when so much taxpayer money is being wasted on Brexit and making us worse off. Indeed the OBR predicts a tax shortfall of £60bn over the next 5 years
3/ But @the_tpa decides a key priority is to attack DCMS
4/ The DCMS is the Departure of Culture Media and Sport.
5/ its missions is to “drive growth, enrich lives and promote Britain abroad. We protect and promote our cultural and artistic heritage and help businesses and communities to grow by investing in innovation and highlighting Britain as a fantastic place to visit...
6/ We help to give the UK a unique advantage on the global stage, striving for economic success.”
7/ It seems odd to attack that department at a time when the UK needs to do all it can to preserve its reputation post- Brexit
8/ so what is it about DCMS that @the_tpa thinks is a waste of taxpayers’ money?
9/ Presumably it is not the roll out of super fast broadband across the nation gov.uk/government/new…
10/ Presumably it is not its support for the creative industries, culture, heritage, tourism, sport, libraries, the arts, civil societies, museums and galleries
11/ Presumably it is not its sponsorship of the BFI, British Library, British Museum, Equality and Human Rights Commission, VisitBritain, Natural History Museum Or the Science Museum
12/ What else does DCMS cover that @the_tpa might object to?
13/ Well the BBC falls under its remit.... could it be that?
14/ Could it be OFCOM the communications regulator?
15/ Well it’s funny how @the_tpa is employing “low tax Chloe” who used to work as the social media manager at Vote Leave.
16/ Why is that relevant? Well the Information Commissioner’s Office falls under the remit of DCMS. Oh the body investigating Vote Leave and Cambridge Analytica you mean? Hmmm
17/ And of course the DCMS has its own Committee headed by @DamianCollins which is looking at fake news. I guess if there is no DCMS then there is no DCMS committee. Hmmmm
18/ And if course the timing of the tweet about spending on the DCMS was interesting. It happened yesterday
19/ What else happened yesterday? Oh well just the House of Lords pushing for Leveson 2
20/ And who would be tasked with Leveson 2? Oh yes @MattHancock who happens to head up DCMS....
21/ @MattHancock is quite busy at the moment. He has to decide whether to approve Fox’s acquisition of Sky by 13 June based on media plurality and broadcasting standard issues. I wonder whether that was what @the_tpa had in mind?
22/ But no doubt stopping the investigation into fake news, stopping Leveson 2 and empowering Rupert Murdoch are not the reasons @the_tpa want DCMS abolished
23/ The only thing left falling under the remit of DCMS we have not covered is charities. A right wing think tank advocating less tax (which reduces public services) would not be so heartless, would it?
24/ I mean imagine the outcry if a think tank called for the body overseeing charities to be abolished while at the same time the think tank does this
