Lisa Nandy appointed Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

Nandy was appointed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s cabinet following the landslide Labour Party victory in the General Election on July 4.

It had been expected that Thangam Debbonaire, previously Labour’s shadow Secretary Of State For Culture, Media and Sport, would be appointed to the post. But Debbonaire lost her Bristol Central seat to Green party co-leader Carla Denyer in the election.

Nandy takes over from the Conservative minister Lucy Frazer, who was appointed in February 2023 by outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Frazer was one of several cabinet ministers who lost their seats in the election.

Nandy has been a member of Parliament since 2010, and has previously served as the shadow cabinet minister for international development and as shadow housing minister. She is the MP for Wigan.

Nandy’s party has committed in its manifesto that it will work “constructively with the BBC and our other public service broadcasters”, making culture and the arts more accessible and investing in the creative industry as part of its industrial strategy.

Last year, Frazer announced a government-led review looking at future funding models for the BBC.

Earlier this year, the Conservative government introduced a new 40% film tax credit for productions budgeted at £15m, aimed at boosting the independent film sector.