Re-election & Appointment as Culture Minister  

I was delighted to be re-elected as your MP at the general election, with an increased majority and an increased share of the vote.  It is a great privilege to serve you, and thank you for giving me the opportunity. Since then, of course, we have had one of the most extraordinary weeks in British politics, culminating in a coalition government, something we have not had in peacetime for eighty years. I was delighted with that outcome, as it resulted in my becoming Minister for Culture, a job I have been keen to do for many years.  Apart from the Cornerstone at Didcot, as well as the cultural delights of Oxford, there is a lot of cultural activity taking place in every town and village in the constituency, which is a useful reminder of how important culture is to our day-to-day lives, even if it does not make a great impact on politics. I am based in the Department for Culture,...