Protesting Welsh culture cuts

The Welsh Government’s budget for 2024/25 has imposed a 10.5% cut on both the museum and the national library, which has already resulted in major staffing cuts, disruption to services and proposals to change workers’ terms and conditions. With a supplementary budget due to be debated in the Senedd (Welsh Parliament), Saturday’s demo urged Welsh ministers to take this opportunity to address the funding crisis in the Culture sector.

Even before the present cuts, both organisations have suffered a decade’s worth of underfunding, as acknowledged by independent reviews commissioned by the Welsh Government itself, and there are widespread concerns about their capacity to conserve Wales’ historic treasures for future generations if further resources are not forthcoming, with more than 12,000 people signing a petition for the cuts to be reversed. Yet first minister Vaughan Gething ruled out any extra money in April.

Speakers at the rally, which took place outside the National Museum Cardiff building in Cathays Park, included PCS branch reps from the Museum and Library, culture sector president, Hannah David, full-time officers from PCS and Prospect, Senedd Members from Plaid Cymru and a representative of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, the Welsh Language Society. 

PCS national officer Darren Williams said: “It is important that people get behind this campaign to save Welsh culture and heritage. The cuts made by the Welsh Government represent only a 0.02% saving to its budget, but they will have a devastating impact on the organisations themselves. And every £1 invested in the sector generates a £5 return, so these cuts are short-sighted as well as damaging.”

The Welsh Government has also launched a consultation on its culture strategy and PCS members are encouraged to make submissions calling for a sustainable funding model for the sector.