General Election 2015: Leading voices from the UK arts scene have their say

The country's novelists, comedians and artists put forward their vision

Al Murray, the Pub Landlord and Free United Kingdom Party member, has strong views on the upcoming election (Getty Images)

Lee Hall, playwright and screenwriter (Billy Elliot)

The Coalition has fundamentally undermined ordinary peoples’ access to a cultural education and this must be reversed. Every child should have an adequate right to access their innate creativity. Education should be free – a generation of graduates would be able to afford to pursue their cultural lives in a way which will be impossible while paying off a loan. It will significantly encourage people like me, from working-class backgrounds, to make the investment in a career in the arts, which is impossible if you are not from a privileged background.

Joan Bakewell, author, journalist and broadcaster

Joan Bakewell wants someone to take arts seriously (Getty)

I think it would be a matter of the new  government sorting out their budgets because there will be cuts coming, but I would like them to protect the cultural backbone of the country, which is small arts organisations. Have you noticed that politicians never mention arts policies? I would quite like for someone to take arts seriously. I think that would be important.

Purni Morell, Artistic Director at London’s Unicorn Theatre

The biggest issue in the arts today is a lack of diversity, which is connected, ultimately, to a lack of money. I think that the first thing that any new government needs to do is to address social justice.

Tiff Stevenson, comedian, activist and writer, and also a finalist on ITV1’s Show Me the Funny

I want the next government to fund more courses in writing, film-making and drama to encourage working-class kids into the business. We are sorely lacking their voices. Also for arts councils to recognise stand-up as an art form and a positive creative force.

Helen Sear, artist representing Wales in Venice at the 56th Venice Biennale

I would like the next government to recognise the value of art as something intrinsic to society rather than a vehicle for the pursuit of government agendas. This value should be reflected in the implementation of fair pay for artists exhibiting in publicly funded galleries, and the recognition of the central role of art education as a site of innovation, problem solving, communication and learning to be human.

Viv Groskop, author, comedian and Artistic Director of the Independent Bath Literature Festival

Viv Groskop wants libraries to be better protected (Pal Hansen)

I would like to see a plan to safeguard libraries. Unison estimates we have lost 500 out of 3,100. There is still time to save the rest if we act now. There also needs to be a review of Arts Council funding of not-for-profit arts festivals and culture venues. Literature festivals and institutions like the ENO (funding cut by  £5 million a year), Richmond’s Orange Tree Theatre (lost all its funding) and the Lowry in Salford (22 per cent drop) should be supported. The long-term effects of these cuts is elitism in the profession and rises in ticket prices.

Vick Bain, CEO of British Academy of Songwriters Composers & Authors (the owners of the Ivor Novello awards)

As an organisation that represents music writers we’d like to see a further strengthening of the copyright framework on a European level. One thing we’re asking the government to look at is getting Google to be far more proactive at looking at safe-harbour provisions, which allow internet platforms like YouTube to say ‘we are a mere conduit and we don’t know what’s on our platform and therefore we won’t do anything about it’. We would like to see the government become more vigilant about this.

John Harris Dunning, novelist and curator of Comics Unmasked: Art and Anarchy in the UK at the British Library

I write comics, so excuse my geek out, but I found it amazing that these huge Hollywood superhero franchises are led by English actors such as Andrew Garfield (Spider-Man), Christian Bale (Batman) and Henry Cavill (Superman). It’s actually shameful how little support the sector of comics has received. Britain is no longer a country that can compete in terms of the emerging world in terms of manufacture or resources, but one of our trump cards is our incredible creative output, without that we are woefully ill-equipped to complete on the world stage, and not even caped superheroes will be able to help us then.

Andy Zaltzman, comedian who is currently touring his show Satirist for Hire

Arts funding is always vulnerable to the pitilessly giggling scythe of austerity – arts are fun to have, but we could logistically survive without them. This makes arts very similar to the Trident nuclear deterrent programme. I would therefore like the next government to pool the funding for the two, and have a five-year play-off between arts and Trident. Whichever proves more popular and beneficial for the nation wins. Winner stays on. The loser is decommissioned.

Timothy Walker, Chief Executive of the London Philharmonic Orchestra

The main change I would love to make is a reversal of the cuts that we’ve seen over the last four years. The effect of the cuts has already reduced the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s concerts in the UK by 25 per cent, while international touring has increased by 100 per cent because we have to balance our books and touring makes money. I believe we should be able to play more in London because tourists come to London to be able to hear the Philharmonic Orchestra.

Benjamin Zephaniah, poet

I would dismantle the honours system. That would include abolishing the post of Poet Laureate. Poets should be poets of the people and shouldn’t be paid to work for the monarchy, writing about living or dead tyrants, or for so called state occasions. Poets should be free spirits. They should spend their time seeking truth, beauty and attending sex parties.

Al Murray, the Pub Landlord and Free United Kingdom Party member

Al Murray is making an unlikely bid for parliament (Getty)

It’s pretty obvious what needs to happen to the arts. You have to cut it like mad so people write angry plays. That’s why angry, biting plays about Thatcher were down year on year under the Blair/Brown governments, it’s only been the last five years of austerity that have got playwrights going again. Simple.

Philip Hetherington, Development Director of Creative Youth, the organisers of the International Youth Arts Festival

We hope that any new government will truly recognise the value of the culture. At Creative Youth we see the value at the micro level where young people develop skills, confidence and opportunities creating a new generation of cultural entrepreneurs, who are essential to a vibrant, exciting and successful country.

Matt Forde, comedian and former advisor to the Labour party, currently on a UK tour with his stand-up show 24 Hour Political Party People

There’s one area of the arts that has sadly been neglected by the major parties and that is the Oasis reunion. Noel Gallagher has publicly said that it would take half a billion for him to consider it, so let’s slash all other arts funding and get Oasis back together. Oh and chuck in a couple of million for me as my commission for suggesting it.

Philip Hensher, novelist

I would like the next government to reintroduce the Net Book Agreement. Until the Nineties publishers could agree what price books were sold at and since the agreement was abolished, the price of books has sunk until it was impossible to make any money from them. The cost of a book now is the same as a pizza. It’s heartbreaking. It’s had an effect in that all the time publishers say they can’t make money any more.

Jess Worth, “actorvist” for BP or not BP

We would like to see the next government remove the billions in tax breaks it gives to the oil industry, and use some of the extra money to properly fund the arts. This would mean that cultural institutions no longer feel tempted to turn to companies like BP and Shell for sponsorship – a practice that currently gifts these climate-wrecking oil giants a public legitimacy and positive profile that they do not deserve.

Gawain Hewitt, manager at Drake Music, the organisation for music disability technology

I would like to see music and arts recognised as essential rather than as an extravagance. People who are disabled are disabled by the situations they face, so I would hate to see the Independent Living Fund being scrapped because it gives people independence.

Tim Burgess, lead singer of the indie-rock band the Charlatans

Art is no 'luxury', says Tim Burgess (Getty Images)

It seems like the arts have been treated as some kind of luxury rather than a necessity – all kids aspire to be future finance drones. More funding for teaching would be a start.