In the ’90s, Tony Blair’s New Labour aligned itself closely with Britpop and an assortment of Young British Artists in an attempt to broaden his party’s appeal among “Middle England” voters. At that point, the notion of “creative industry” was central to New Labour policy-making. A typical Third Way neologism — like “public-private partnerships” — an emphasis on “creative industry” worked to put the shine on the marketization and bureaucratization of the arts.

Funding was increased, but at a price: targets around “value” had to be met; cultural “well-being” was a new indicator and necessitated a national rise in museum attendance — which, though it was met under Blair, ultimately masked the underlying inequality. As it turned out, the boost in new museum attendees that followed a policy of free entry to state institutions was largely caused by repeat visits made by existing middle-class attendees, simply visiting more often than they had previously. Overall improved attendance, with the potential for new visitors from poorer backgrounds, is a good thing, of course, and one that successive governments, including Labour, have pledged to continue.