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My congratulations are insufficient to thank Mark Lawson for bringing attention to the huge shift by our politicians away from conspicuous involvement with arts and culture into tabloid-fearing populism (A night in with Trollope, 30 May). In a humble way, I have spent most of my life trying to bring culture (in the least elitist sense) into the centre of political thinking. As an actor with the RSC, the National, and many regional theatres, plus television and radio, I have also struggled to define a political identity for us "luvvies" by standing for parliament (14,000 votes though not elected), for my local council (elected), by playing a strong role in my trade union, and by setting up, with the late Bill Owen, Arts for Labour, which grew splendidly but was allowed to fizzle out through indifference and bureaucratic dullness. More recently, we started Shakespeare United to bring live performance to deprived audiences and to make work for the deeply dedicated but disgracefully unused hoard of British "luvvie" talent. Last year we inspired events from John O'Groats down through all points south. Our reception? Total disregard from David Cameron and his "big society". Ignored by the culture and shadow culture ministers, treated with contempt by the Cultural Olympiad bureaucrats. One of the deepest causes of British malaise is surely indifference to the best of our own culture and its denial to all the people of Britain through the cowardice and laziness of politicians generally.
Ian Flintoff
Oxford
• Mark Lawson tells us that politicians do not wish to be stigmatised by being seen to engage with high art. This has been the case for a long time. Tony Blair articulated the strategy when he replied to a question about his taste in music by saying: "I like what the kids like."
Presumably this is all part of politicians trying to pretend that they did not go to Eton and its like. Having had access to the most privileged education and the widest range of cultural influences, they are now busy trying to disguise this. At the same time, they are cutting arts programmes and arts education for young people. What they should be doing is trying to make sure that everyone has access to the cultural opportunities that they had. "What the kids like" is largely a matter of education.
Susan Tomes
London
• I hold no candle for Nick Clegg, but Mark Lawson shouldn't assume that he wouldn't enjoy "an early night with the Barchester Chronicles". In his My hero column (Review, 30 April 2010), Clegg unexpectedly chose Samuel Beckett and wrote very well about him. Clegg admires the fact that there's humour along with the bleakness in Beckett. Still, Trollope might cheer him up a bit.
Neil Corcoran
Emeritus professor of English Literature, University of Liverpool
