Government and the arts - Philistines in high places.(Brief Article) From: The Economist (US) | Date: August 19, 2000 | COPYRIGHT 2000 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Yet another arty type has accused Tony Blair's government of dumbing things down. What lies behind these attacks?

ARTISTS can be just as fickle as businesspeople, as Tony Blair has discovered. A chorus of eminent writers and performers lined up in support of Labour in 1997. But the enthusiasm of many waned dramatically after the election was won, amid complaints that arts funding remained as parsimonious as it had been under the Tories. Last month the government announce...