Quintin Hogg's Cultural Revolution

Quintin Hogg was at his most culturally revolting in last week's "Sunday _ Express", Addressing himself with well placed confidence to the readership of that newspaper, he launched a frontal attack on the opera, ballet, the BBC and the National Theatre, which "are paid for, to the extent necessary, by those who do not patronise these cultural delights, through Miss Jennie lee, the new Lady Bountiful of artistic taste." Such an argument is rich indeed, coming from a Tory front bench speaker on education and one of the most immoderate defenders of the grammar schools. What else is the concept of a privileged education - or for that matter the whole basis of the class system on which the Tory Party rests,- but the payment, in money or in the work which produces money, for not merely cultural but many other forms of "delights" by large sections of the community which have never had the opportunity of patronising them. From a socialist viewpoint there is mich to criticise in the Government's cultural policy - its parsimony for one thing: the narrowness of its application for another, and, above all, the superficial manner in which it is spread. like icing on a cake which has no imer richness. The arts may be being extended, for those who can reach them, but there is all too little being done , in housing, education or working conditions, to widen the extent of the grasp. But the Tory policy of attacking even this minimum programme is bleak indeed,