Spending Review: Cuts to BBC put UK soft power at risk
Spending Review cuts to the BBC would erode the UK’s soft power when it needs it most, writes Giles Kenningham
Reeves should double down on soft power in Spending Review, not cut BBC spending
We live in a time of unprecedented volatility and instability. Industries are being rendered obsolete overnight and there’s no such thing as a job for life anymore. Against this backdrop, there has never been a greater need to use the levers of soft power to cement our place in the world order. And it’s the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office that should be at the forefront of pushing our soft power agenda through economic diplomacy.
But the department has historically been too risk averse, preferring to maintain the status quo instead of adapting to a changing world and shaking things up. The same can be said for other parts of Whitehall. Too often the civil service sees issues in silos. Every government department should be thinking how they can use soft power so we don’t get left behind.
We are world leaders in football and music but we don’t do enough to leverage that. Universal Music and Manchester United should be at the same table when we are looking to extend our influence across the globe.
The Chinese, Qataris and Saudis have been streets ahead smartly pushing their agenda whilst pockets of the West have been asleep at the wheel. The Qataris have a British property portfolio of at least £10bn. And their TV channel, Al Jazeera, has a huge global footprint and is widely respected.
Similarly, look at what the Saudis have done in the sporting arena with boxing, football and golf. And through the Belt and Road Initiative, the Chinese have invested in nearly 150 countries often in key infrastructure projects giving them a strategic and political advantage.
The BBC World Service is still one of the most trusted and recognised news brands in the world. We should be doubling down and not reducing our investment in one of our biggest exports.
As Rachel Reeves prepares to unveil big spending reductions in departmental budgets in Wednesday’s Spending Review, let’s hope soft power doesn’t fall victim to the axe.
An estate agent crackdown is well overdue
It’s hard to find anyone who has a good word to say about estate agents. Whether it’s buying or selling a home the overriding sentiment is often that they play fast and loose. Given buying a house is the biggest purchase most people ever make, it’s amazing the industry isn’t subject to more checks and balances. A national regulator imposing strict codes of conduct for the sector might give it the shake-up it needs and restore some level of trust in the industry. Doctors and solicitors can get struck off. Rogue estate agents should be too.
Concert or lecture?
I’m a huge Massive Attack fan so when I paid £85 to see them last Friday I thought I was going to see one of the most iconic bands of the 1990s. Instead what I got was a hybrid concert/political rally. Not to minimise the importance of the causes they sought to highlight throughout the show (Gaza and the Congo) but it felt completely out of place. The last thing most people want on a Friday night is a political lecture… and certainly not one for £85. A complete rip off.
Quote of the week:
Reform’s economic policies are ‘Liz Truss on steroids’
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp
What I’m listening to:
I’m a massive fan of the Amazon All or Nothing series on Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City but it’s not a patch on the football podcast Sacked in the Morning.
Presented by former Scotland Manager Craig Levein and the BBC’s Amy Irons, it gives an amazing unvarnished behind the scenes window on the world of football management, with jaw-dropping stories and proper laugh out loud moments.
From Paul Merson striking a deal to only train two days a week with Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth to Dean Windass recounting getting three red cards in a single game and fights in Kebab shops, it offers a glimpse into a footballing era which is a lot less professional than today’s game but arguably a lot more entertaining.
Giles Kenningham is founder of PR & public affairs consultancy Trafalgar Strategy and former head of press at Number 10