Former Labour bigwig now in charge of Dundee’s V&A museum accused of abusing ‘impartial’ position with ‘Brexit swipe’
THE former Labour bigwig now in charge of the V&A museum has been accused of abusing his “impartial” position by taking a swipe at Brexiteers.
Tristram Hunt raised eyebrows with remarks at Saturday’s launch of the £80million Dundee venue.
The former MP gave a speech at the museum’s opening nightAndy Barr - The Sun Glasgow
The former shadow education secretary, who now earns £195,000 a year as V&A director, said: “This is a truly international museum firmly rooted in local relevance . . . at a time of far too much inward-looking nationalism and parochialism.
“Museums can and do make a difference.”
But Tory Ross Thomson, the pro-Brexit Aberdeen South MP, accused pro-Remain Mr Hunt of using his museum supremo role to “score political points”.
Mr Thomson said: “When Tristram Hunt took the job with the V&A, he said he was leaving ‘partisan politics behind’. There doesn’t seem to be much evidence of that.
Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde calls for ‘eyesore’ office block next to Dundee’s new V&A museum to be ‘torn down’
“The V&A is a world-class attraction that has put Dundee firmly on the cultural map — it shouldn’t be used to score political points.”
Former TV historian Mr Hunt stood down as Stoke-on-Trent MP in 2017 after refusing to serve in the shadow cabinet under Jeremy Corbyn.
The new museum cost over £80millionAlamy Live News
He argued that the Labour boss should have done more to persuade people to vote against Brexit.
In his resignation letter to local members, Mr Hunt said: “As I enter a new role as a public servant, I will be leaving partisan politics behind me and will work impartially as a museum director.”
Tristram Hunt raised eyebrows with remarks at Saturday’s launch of the £80million Dundee venue.
The former MP gave a speech at the museum’s opening nightAndy Barr - The Sun Glasgow
The former shadow education secretary, who now earns £195,000 a year as V&A director, said: “This is a truly international museum firmly rooted in local relevance . . . at a time of far too much inward-looking nationalism and parochialism.
“Museums can and do make a difference.”
But Tory Ross Thomson, the pro-Brexit Aberdeen South MP, accused pro-Remain Mr Hunt of using his museum supremo role to “score political points”.
Mr Thomson said: “When Tristram Hunt took the job with the V&A, he said he was leaving ‘partisan politics behind’. There doesn’t seem to be much evidence of that.
Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde calls for ‘eyesore’ office block next to Dundee’s new V&A museum to be ‘torn down’
“The V&A is a world-class attraction that has put Dundee firmly on the cultural map — it shouldn’t be used to score political points.”
Former TV historian Mr Hunt stood down as Stoke-on-Trent MP in 2017 after refusing to serve in the shadow cabinet under Jeremy Corbyn.
The new museum cost over £80millionAlamy Live News
He argued that the Labour boss should have done more to persuade people to vote against Brexit.
In his resignation letter to local members, Mr Hunt said: “As I enter a new role as a public servant, I will be leaving partisan politics behind me and will work impartially as a museum director.”
£195,000 a year. Wow. The political class certainly like to keep their snouts in the trough, don't they?
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