Lucy Frazer

Lucy Frazer has been appointed the new culture secretary during prime minister Rishi Sunak's mini cabinet reshuffle.

[Michelle Donelan](https://whynow.co.uk/read/michelle-donelan-who-is-the-uks-new-culture-secretary), who had served as the culture secretary until today. Lucy Frazer has been appointed the new culture secretary during prime minister Rishi Sunak’s mini cabinet reshuffle. Lucy Frazer appointed UK’s new culture secretary

Frazer replaces Michelle Donelan, who was appointed last Fall under former Prime Minister Liz Truss. When Sunak replaced Truss he initially kept on Donelan.

She previously worked with Sunak when he was Chancellor (pictured above) and she was the financial secretary to the treasury. She has previously worked in government in the justice and education departments. Today she was given the heave-ho amid a shake-up of his cabinet, as the most senior government ministers are known.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak has overhauled the country's Department for Culture, Media and Sport Digital, dropping "digital" from its mandate.

She has also served as Solicitor General, Minister of State for Prisons and Probations, and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice. [former culture secretary Nadine Dorries,](/2021/09/15/nadine-dorries-named-uk-culture-secretary) who worked as the UK's culture secretary under the former prime minister Boris Johnson between September 2021 and September 2022. Donelan took steps to weaken provisions within the bill amid concerns over its [potential impact on artistic freedom](/2023/01/02/new-online-safety-laws-aim-to-protect-childrenbut-will-they-harm-artists) and civil liberties. Most recently, she was Minister of State in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Planning. Sunak’s decision to withdraw digital policy from the culture secretary's portfolio of responsibilities means digital policy and media and cultural policy will now have to be co-ordinated across two separate government departments. Donelan’s new role will involve devising the UK government’s policy pertaining to digital infrastructure, an aspect of the brief which formerly fell under the purview of the DCMS.

Lucy Frazer, the MP who made a joke about Scottish people becoming slaves in Parliament, has been promoted to Culture Secretary.

Both [Sunbird Records in Darwen](https://www.nme.com/news/music/darwens-sunbird-records-venue-to-close-down-3393914) and [Ironworks in Inverness](https://www.nme.com/news/music/inverness-venue-ironworks-shuts-doors-for-the-final-time-3392508) closed permanently in the last few days, and the Music Venue Trust estimates that one grassroots venue is shutting down each week in the UK at present. Frazer, meanwhile, will lead a revamped Culture, Media and Sports Department. [issues related to Brexit’s impact on the touring music industry](https://www.nme.com/news/music/brexit-touring-uk-house-of-lords-2022-artist-crew-unemployment-europe-3315337), the [potentially excessive power of streaming companies](https://www.nme.com/news/music/music-industry-demands-government-action-on-streaming-after-cma-report-3357590), and the ongoing threats to grassroots music venues. “Now there is an answer to the West Lothian question – but not one that of course I would recommend.” [appeared in the Houses of Parliament](https://www.nme.com/news/music/music-venue-trust-annual-report-government-action-arena-investment-frank-turner-talent-pipeline-3389434) alongside patron [Frank Turner](https://www.nme.com/artists/frank-turner) last week to present its [2022 Annual Report, ](https://www.musicvenuetrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/MVT_Annual-Report_FINAL_web-enabled_Single-Page-version.pdf)which lays out the value of the sector to both the UK economy and the music industry, as well as the grave danger that venues in the UK face without urgent action. He has created four new departments – Energy, Security and Net Zero, headed by Grant Shapps, Business and Trade, led by Kemi Badenoch, while former Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan becomes Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary.

The change comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak detached the digital arm of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Now, a new streamlined ...

Let’s hope so,” while another said, “Lucy Frazer is our new Culture Secretary - the 12th culture secretary in 12 years - truly pitiful.” Frazer had a successful career as a barrister in commercial law, and was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 2013 at the age of 40. One Twitter user said: “Lucy Frazer is the 8th Culture Secretary in 5 years…will she be the 1st to actually care about culture? Frazer also voted for assisted dying of the terminally ill to be deemed lawful if permission had been granted by the High Court. We look forward to working with the new Secretary of State and department to promote, sustain and grow the UK theatre sector at home and internationally.” She met her husband David Leigh, who runs a recruitment company, while at university and the couple share two children.