Nicky
Morgan, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, speaking
today at the Conservative Party Conference, said:
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“Conference, good afternoon. It is wonderful to be here with you today.
And wonderful to be able to tell you about the work we are doing in
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
For some, this may seem a dizzying array of issues –
from broadband to the arts,
heritage to youth services
but it is all brought together by one simple word: place.
‘Place’ means reminding ourselves
that we are all part of a wider community and that our sense of belonging needs
to be central to making policy and enhancing the lives of those we serve –
something I think we can all agree is now more important than ever.
As we grasp the opportunities available to us when we leave the EU on
October the 31st, I believe that art and culture will have ever more
vital roles to play in Britain’s future.
Tech
We are (and always have been) a creative and imaginative nation, we are
a nation of unique museums that capture our vibrant heritage and new businesses
that show us an exciting high tech future.
Conference, in the first seven months of this year alone – the UK tech
sector attracted 5.5 billion pounds of investment.
That is more in the first half of this year than for the whole of 2018.
This – in the words of some Westminster watchers – despite Brexit.
Leaving the EU means we can expand our relationships around the world.
It’s not by coincidence that more than half of the investment I have just cited
came from America and Asia.
Conference, Corbyn and McDonnell would put all of this progress at risk
with plans to tax our tech sector. By taking
taxes to their highest ever level in peacetime Labour would simply drive
business and investment from this country.
This would not only stifle our creativity but impact the companies that
come here – threatening our tech sector’s unique position on the world
stage.
Almost 40% of the billion dollar tech start-ups in Europe are from the
UK. With London forging ahead of both Paris and Berlin.
But, this success is not just clustered in our capital, other cities are
also contributing to our country’s great success in this area; with both Oxford
and Cambridge, combined, having more than Paris.
Broadband
I want the UK to be the best place in the world to start and grow a
business.
But Conference, the truth is, you can’t start and grow a business if you
can’t connect to the Internet. That is the reality facing people in communities
across our United Kingdom today, because of poor broadband services.
The Prime Minister has great ambition and optimism
for our country – and I share that.
We will dramatically speed up the
rollout of fast, reliable and secure broadband and get gigabit speeds right
across the UK – much faster than our previous target.
And you only need to remember the situation we inherited in 2010 when we
came in to clean up Labour’s mess.
It wasn’t just the economy Labour had driven into the ground, we
inherited a situation from Labour whereby millions were left with appallingly
low levels of broadband access and only half of all UK premises having access
to superfast broadband.
Now, we have turned the situation around – 96% of UK premises have
access to superfast broadband– but there is much more that we can and will do.
Why? Because as Conservatives, we believe every corner of the United
Kingdom should have the opportunity to thrive. We will never give up on our
rural communities.
Arts
As well as levelling up digital infrastructure right across the UK, I am
determined to do the same for our cultural heritage across the country.
Our culture should not be limited or clustered to our tourist cities.
That is why I am determined that we focus on those left behind areas,
supporting both local culture and creative infrastructure
This all goes back to that word – place.
Every part of the country has its own history and story to tell, which
is at the heart of our shared national culture. These stories should be
cherished for future generations for the great – great – grandchildren of those
who were there.
We all know the last few years have been fractious.
Sometimes we have forgotten the amazing things that unite us, and I
believe passionately our shared culture can help bring us together.
Creative and cultural institutions are the greatest gathering places
that give a community its life – they are the heart of place-making.
Young people
When we talk of building the infrastructure Britain needs – we must not forget
the social infrastructure.
No matter where you live or where you came from, everyone should have
the same opportunities afforded to them. This is why we are Conservatives.
If we wish to use all the great talent in
our country it is vital that we offer opportunities and the chance to build
character and resilience to all.
Increased access to art, culture and
sport, not just in school but also outside of the school day. This Government
has ambitious plans to ensure that our future generations have the chance to
nurture and grow their talents.
Conclusion
Conference – our national culture has always been a source of soft
power, but today I have set out why it can also be used to drive economic
prosperity in communities across the United Kingdom.
We should never put a limit on our ambition for this country. We must
support our vital cultural and artistic sectors, while harnessing new
technology to enrich the lives of future generations.
These values that I have spoken about today are Conservative values.
A sense of belonging.
A stake in society.
Opportunity for all to unleash talent across the board.
As Conservatives – we will always fight for these values, to unleash and
harness the abilities of people in places across the country.
Because that is how we will truly become One Nation.
ENDS
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