Culture funding turns into wasteful council bidding war

The biggest bun fight at the council this week was over culture funding – a favourite topic of many politicians who seek to look relevant by backing things the public like.

It was the culmination of a series of political errors by the council administration. This started with the daft idea of having a committee decide on grants to cultural bodies in the middle of festival season, when the extra media attention brings an irresistible clamour to capitulate to funding demands.

The result was a furore about the impact of the Tourist Tax on festivals, a tax they support, and the apparent lack of funding they receive. Cue a bidding war among left wing politicians keen to curry favour with their friends in the arts and culture sector.

I get it. Culture is popular. But it shouldn’t lead you to lose your head when spending taxpayers’ money. That needs a proper look at what the money will be spent on and whether it will meet the strategic goals you’ve set in the first place.

Boring by comparison, but the only way you can judge the value of that spend when it competes with funding on services like education and social care.

An initial recommendation of a 5 per cent increase was quickly upped by officers to 11.5 per cent to cover inflation. But that was usurped by the SNP, Lib Dems and Greens who plucked 25 per cent out of thin air.

Yet this is only one year funding while the council draws up a new strategy. It is intended to deliver the same work as agreed in 2023 when the grant was first made. Surely, if these organisations are now to get more, they must be asked to deliver more?

The public platform of festival season has created a political, if not a public, special case. The left’s increase is ten times what they gave to voluntary and community groups undertaking anti-poverty and social care work in the city.

Meanwhile, not all “festivals” are equal. The Fringe exists as a booking agency and venue finder for anyone who can come, much being commercial.

The International Festival is fully curated and brings international artistic excellence to Edinburgh. Many of the other groups do community work.

The need for a proper strategy is paramount and any future funding must follow the desired outcomes. But don’t expect any Council Tax back if the current dramatic increase isn’t doing that.