Connect with us

Published

on

An investigation has been launched into the £120m “festival of Brexit” amid concerns visitor numbers were less than 1% of early targets.

A cross-party parliamentary committee has asked the National Audit Office (NAO), the public spending watchdog, to look into how the project was managed to “help get to the bottom of how so much taxpayer money could be frittered away for so little return”.

Originally unveiled in 2018 by Theresa May as Festival UK* 2022 – it was supposed to be a nationwide celebration of creativity following the departure from the EU.

Jacob Rees-Mogg dubbed it the “Festival of Brexit before it was rebranded as the Unboxed festival.

However, earlier this year Politics Home reported that the festival – which is supposed to evoke the spirit of the Great Exhibition of 1851 and the 1951 Festival of Britain – had received 238,000 visitors compared with organisers’ initial “stretch target” of 66 million.

Read more:
Brexit making touring Europe ‘unviable’ for UK artists
Elton John warns smaller music acts are at risk of being ‘stranded in Dover’

And last month the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMS) called for the investigation after finding it to be an “irresponsible use of public money” and criticising its planning as a “recipe for failure”.

More on Brexit

Its chairman, Conservative MP Julian Knight, said: “That such an exorbitant amount of public cash has been spent on a so-called celebration of creativity that has barely failed to register in the public consciousness raises serious red flags about how the project has been managed from conception through to delivery.

“The NAO’s investigation will bring welcome and thorough scrutiny and help get to the bottom of how so much taxpayer money could be frittered away for so little return.”

People at the opening of PoliNations, a garden in Birmingham's Victoria Square hosting a 17-day festival of free events themed around diversity, produced by Trigger and commissioned by Unboxed: Creativity in the UK.
Image:
People at the opening of PoliNations in Birmingham’s Victoria Square

Calling for the investigation in September, Mr Knight said the design and delivery of the festival “has been an unadulterated shambles”.

“The paltry numbers attracted to the festival despite such a hefty investment highlight just what an excessive waste of money the whole project has been,” he added.

The NAO’s comptroller and auditor general Gareth Davies has proposed a “short, focused report on Unboxed” which could be completed and published by the end of this year.

Meanwhile, the government and organisers claim the programme has reached every part of the UK, in more than 100 towns, cities and villages, spreading work, opportunities and opening up access to culture.

A spokesperson for the Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) said: “More than four million people have engaged in Unboxed programming so far and these numbers are set to rise further.”

General views of SEE MONSTER, a decommissioned North Sea offshore platform, which has been transformed into one of the U''s largest public art installations
Image:
The SEE MONSTER is a decommissioned North Sea offshore platform which has been transformed into one of Unboxed’s largest public art installations

And a spokesperson for Unboxed: Creativity in the UK said: “The numbers reported misrepresent the public engagement with Unboxed and reflect attendance at only eight of the 107 physical locations within the programme.

“Unboxed’s art, science and tech commissions have been presented in over 100 towns, cities and villages, engaged millions across live and digital and employed thousands of creatives around the UK.

“The Unboxed programme continues until the end of the year.”

Continue Reading

UK

Boy, 16, shot dead in south London

Published

on

By

Boy, 16, shot dead in south London

A teenage boy has been shot dead in south London.

The Metropolitan Police said the 16-year-old was killed on Paradise Road, near Stockwell Tube Station.

Officers were called to the scene around 3.20pm on Tuesday to reports of a shooting.

Despite the best efforts of paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance, the teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a statement, the Met Police said that no arrests had been made and it had launched a murder investigation.

Officers were also working to identify the teenager and contact his next of kin.

‘Enormously shocking incident’

Superintendent Gabriel Cameron said: “This is an enormously shocking incident which I imagine will cause huge distress to the local community.

“Our thoughts are with the young boy’s family at this devastating time.

“Local officers are on the scene gathering CCTV and speaking to witnesses to piece together what has happened.

“They will be supported by specialist homicide investigators shortly.”

He added that police would work “around the clock” to find the perpetrators.

Continue Reading

UK

Bill Dare: Spitting Image producer dies after accident abroad

Published

on

By

Bill Dare: Spitting Image producer dies after accident abroad

Comedy writer Bill Dare, – who worked on shows including Spitting Image and Dead Ringers – has died after an accident overseas, his agent said.

Described as a “super producer” by his peers, Dare, 64, worked on eight series of hugely popular satire puppet show Spitting Image.

Airing on ITV during the 1980s and 1990s, the show delighted in lampooning public figures including politicians, celebrities and royalty, winning BAFTAs and Emmys. It was rebooted in 2020.

Dare also created Dead Ringers, a comedy impressions show broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

He also produced The Now Show, a satirical take on the news which ran on Radio 4 from 1998 to 2024.

Dare worked on a wide range of comedy shows during his career, including the radio production of The Mary Whitehouse Experience in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He had also written several novels.

In a statement released on Monday, his agent JFL Agency confirmed he died at the weekend.

A spokesperson said: “We are shocked and greatly saddened to have to announce the death of our brilliant client Bill Dare, who died at the weekend following an accident overseas.

“Our thoughts are with his wife Lucy, daughter Rebecca, and with all of Bill’s family and friends who will be devastated by his loss.

“Bill was a truly legendary producer and writer, and his comedy instincts were second to none.”

Pic: ITV/Shutterstock
Image:
Oasis depicted on Spitting Image in 1996. Pic: ITV/Shutterstock

Colleagues were quick to pay tribute and reflect on his talent.

Impressionist Jon Culshaw wrote on X: “It’s impossible to express the unreal sense of loss at the passing of the incredible Bill Dare. The wisest comedy alchemist and the dearest, dearest friend. Much love to Lucy and all Bill’s family and friends. We shall all miss him more than we can say.”

David Baddiel posted on the social media platform: “Just heard that the original producer of The Mary Whitehouse Experience on radio, Bill Dare, has died. Bill was an amazing creative force. I owe him much. RIP.”

Former EastEnders actress Tracy-Ann Oberman said she was “devastated” and that her “entire comedy career was down to Bill”.

She wrote: “When I was on the BBC Radio 4 rep company early on in career – I ran into Bill in the corridors – He asked if I was good at accents. I said yes.

“He cast me in a sketch show. I had to do about 15 different accents. We recorded in front of a live audience at Broadcasting House – afterwards Bill said ‘Why have I never met you – you’re going to have a big career’.

“He was incredibly loyal and supportive and really opened a path for me into the R4 comedy world and then TV having come out of the RSC and theatre it was all new. I will always be grateful. Fly high Bill.”

Comedian and writer Mark Steel wrote: “This is so grim. Bill was a compassionate hearty soul with the ability to be beautifully grumpy, a marvellously thoughtful comic mind.

“He’d argue but always listen and you’d always laugh, he made a million shows and wanted them all to matter and would have made a million more.”

Have I Got News for You writer Pete Sinclair said: “I am utterly devastated by Bill’s death. I still can’t believe it. He was a comedy genius. A hugely talented writer as well as a brilliant producer. A close friend and co-writer. I cannot begin to say how much I’ll miss him.”

Read more from Sky News:
Dolly Parton’s husband of nearly 60 years dies
With Love, Meghan: What we learnt from new Netflix series
The Crown actor ‘told to attend police interview’

Julia McKenzie, comedy commissioner for Radio 4, said: “I am so terribly sorry to hear this tragic news and my thoughts are with Bill’s wife, family and friends.

“Bill has been a huge part of Radio 4 comedy for decades, as a writer and producer, and listeners will have heard his legendary name at the end of many of their favourite shows.

“Bill was a comedy obsessive, and very instinctive about making the funniest choices when it came to writing, directing and editing.

“He cared so much about his work that in the production booth during Dead Ringers you’d see him crouched over the script, utterly focused on the show.

“He was funny and very dry in person, amusingly cynical when he needed to be and always pushed to keep the comedy he made, and particularly satire, spiky.

“I’ve known and worked with him for 18 years and like many I can’t believe he has gone, he will leave a big hole in the comedy world and in our hearts.”

Continue Reading

UK

‘Corrupt’ ex-prison officer who boasted about performing sex act on inmate jailed

Published

on

By

'Corrupt' ex-prison officer who boasted about performing sex act on inmate jailed

An ex-prison officer who boasted about performing a sex act on an inmate who “manipulated” her has been jailed. 

Mother-of-one Katie Evans, 26, burst into tears in court as the judge described how she was “corrupted” by an “experienced criminal” not long after she started work at Doncaster Prison when she was just 21.

As well as starting an intimate relationship with the prisoner, Daniel Brownley, Evans had more than 140 phone calls with him, moved money around bank accounts for him, and supplied him with information the prison held on him, the court heard.

Brownley had been jailed in 2016 for attempted robbery, burglary and handling stolen goods, the court heard.

“It appears you indulged in some form of sexual activity in the prison. It has been described that on one occasion you had oral sex with him,” Judge Jeremy Richardson KC told Evans at Sheffield Crown Court.

“It is truly a terrible situation for a judge to be passing sentence on a former prison officer who has been branded a corrupt prison officer.”

Judge Richardson told Evans “he corrupted you and not the reverse”, adding: “I’m entirely satisfied you were manipulated by an experienced criminal to assist him.”

He said Evans was “young and immature” at the time but added: “Your misconduct materially affected the good order and discipline of the prison.”

“You were inexperienced and immature but that is, however, no excuse for what you did.”

Read more from Sky News:
What we learnt from Meghan’s new Netflix show
Man given life sentence for murdering son’s girlfriend

Judge Richardson said the sentence of 21 months should have been longer but, “purely as an act of mercy”, he reduced it to take into account the effect it will have on Evans’ relationship with her young daughter and the difficulties she will have in prison as a former officer.

Evans, of Hatfield, Doncaster, admitted misconduct in a public office at a previous hearing.

Still crying, she waved at family members in the public gallery as she was led from the dock.

Continue Reading

Trending