Lisa Nandy remains Culture Secretary in Burnham cabinet

newsJul 20, 2026321,434

Lisa Nandy said the UK should "look to Catalonia" for lessons on how to defeat Scottish nationalism, telling the BBC that socialists have been "beaten over and over" by nationalists and that social justice can beat "divisive nationalism." In the Andrew Neil interview she pointed to brief historical moments in Catalonia and Quebec where socialists had reportedly checked separatist movements, and later wrote in a blog that Catalan socialists have "for years been peacefully resisting the advance of separatists there." The BBC article recalls Spain's disputed 1 October 2017 Catalan referendum, in which about 90% of voters backed independence on a 43% turnout and clashes erupted as police used batons and rubber bullets to try to stop the vote. Nine pro-independence Catalan leaders were later jailed for between nine and 13 years for organising the referendum, with those sentences prompting further clashes. Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament she was "mortified" by Nandy's remarks and said Nandy should clarify or apologise, and Scotland's only Labour MP Ian Murray warned Labour leadership candidates not to speak about Scotland without full understanding. Nandy also accused the SNP of keeping independence on the agenda to distract from what she called an "appalling" record and said she does not want another independence referendum; her comments were raised formally in the Scottish Parliament and prompted internal party criticism as the Labour leadership contest continues.

James Ball

@jamesrball.com

"Lisa Nandy will remain as the culture secretary, Downing Street said." OH GOOD GRIEF

33213h ago

James Ball267

I can't work out if this is intended as a punishment to Lisa Nandy, who clearly hates the job; or a punishment to the entire UK culture sector, which is suffering as a result of that. Maybe both?

randomname99.bsky.social25

She fucking useless in a job which thanks to culture wars, is really fucking important right now. It's a key battleground for the far right and she's asleep at the wheel. And resents even being nudged awake

d1omedes.bsky.social14

I wonder if they realised that was already her job

lhur.bsky.social9

The owners of GBNews are gonna be delighted.

Pete Green9

We have a culture secretary?

Ivanskavinsky6

But how will anyone know she’s culture secretary? She didn’t do anything before…

Quoting this

Tom Phillips309

We desperately need a study to figure out which stolen artefact we need to return to lift this curse. Unfortunately, any such study would fall under the purview of the culture secretary, so we're in something of a bind here.

Annette Dittert80

That’s really awful. The one mismatch that needed to be disentangled. 🫣

Matt Green71

This is not a great start for culture under Burnham

Plashing Vole21

Has she glued herself to a painting?

Tony Yates18

Right it's over to LinkedIn to see if she's said anything about her reappointment

Athena Kugblenu13

Starting to take this shit personally. Maybe it's *us* they hate

Malcolm V Tucker12

Was a Ski fruit yoghurt not available?

Pete Morgan6

Because she’s doing such a great job

Martin Calladine4

She wants to finish the job she hadn't started.

Todd Kendall2

You can stick your Manchesterism up where the sun don’t shine after this.

Sam Freedman

@samfr.bsky.social

I'm afraid it's now a convention under our constitution that Lisa Nandy is culture secretary.

28013h ago

Ben Stanley61

Someone should let her know

lhur.bsky.social15

What is staggering is his not realising how crucial it is to the survival of progressive politics in the UK that regulation of disinformation is paramount, as is decent funding of UK cultural institutions. Instead he has reappointed possibly the most ineffectual minister I can recall.

Vera Fang8

Oh cool, cool. Not like creative industries are dying or anything...

Grumpy7

Probably one of the most disappointing non-announcements of day. What dirt does she have over Burnham?

npwrth6

Surely this time around will be the one where she realises the office can actually do things.

Iain Fletcher5

Maybe he’s hoping she just didn’t realise she had the brief before? This and Mahmood are just insane choices. Really starting to hope he devolves as much as possible just so his own potential blast radius is as small as possible.

Quoting this

Chris Terry-Enescu23

Another, related, convention is that you must never tell her

Patrick Allies2

Let every town in the UK rejoice (no villages or cities please)

Robert Hutton

@roberthutton.co.uk

People we have learned that Andy Burnham hates: 1. The creative sector, which is full of soft southerners who don't work down the pits. 2. Lisa Nandy.

20113h ago

Stephen Smith37

So the only person who didn’t even pretend to do their job under Starmer is the only person to retain exactly the same role under Burnham

clairbreathnach.bsky.social1

Long history of support for the creative sector as Mayor but let's not let that get in the way of an opportunity to unearth a tired, snotty dig at Northerners, eh?

CW1

Glad that Annaliese Midgeley seems to be on the side of creatives in the big AI battle. Of course not her brief but hopefully a useful voice in govt on this issue.

Gaby Hinsliff

@gabyhinsliff.bsky.social

Can’t believe Lisa Nandy is still not the culture secretary.

17613h ago

Flaming June2

She can’t be happy, anymore than are we in the industry. Perhaps being stuck with it again will force her to take a bit of an interest.

cones

@coneshotline.bsky.social

it is 2066. roving bands of brits pin scraps of the bayeux tapestry to their rags as they traverse the blighted wasteland. musk’s head in a jar rules the badlands, the crystal tower of number 10 north crumbling in the distance. lisa nandy is still culture secretary

8713h ago

Dreadnought Holiday

@dreadships.bsky.social

People are ragging on Andy Burnham choosing Lisa Nandy as Culture Secretary, but in fairness there was absolutely nothing to suggest she already had the brief

5612h ago

Will Reid-Tong

@willthong.com

Congratulations to the new Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy. She's got a real job on her hands clearing up the mess made by the last Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy!

3713h ago

Hugh Osborne

@available4panto.bsky.social

But Lisa Nandy *isn't* the Culture Secretary. She's just the person stopping anybody else from *being* the Culture Secretary.

2813h ago

รℓσαɳε ℓყรɓεƭɦ 🏳️‍🌈

@sloanelysbeth.bsky.social

id rather have a minister like lisa nandy, who jus sits around playing xbox, than a minister like bridget philipson who has dedicated her entire career to persecuting minorities.

3712h ago

James Huntrods

@jameshuntrods.bsky.social

thank god she's still culture secretary, can you imagine how the arts would struggle without the right honourable Lisa Nandy, it doesn't bare thinking about

2013h ago

dragon odontologist 🇺🇦🇱🇹🇵🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

@dov.bsky.social

Do yous think Lisa Nandy knows she is literally Nicola Murray come alive

2712h ago

[email protected]

@cityhobo61.bsky.social

@andyburnham.bsky.social Lisa Nandy has been asleep at the wheel as culture secretary whilst you have been stuck up in Manchester - she's doen sod all about BBC, press regulation OFCOM fails daily & I haven't heard her refer to the theatre or performing arts. Rewarding failure - a real new broom!

1613h ago

Kippy Woo

@tygerwhocame2t.bsky.social

"SACK LISA NANDY. SACK SHABANA MAHMOOD. SACK WES STREETING. SACK YVETTE COOPER."

Christopher Eccleston onstage at a convention panel.

1312h ago

Allan Faulds

@afaulds.bsky.social

I recall a particular long-standing member of the Scottish Government (no longer an MSP, if that narrows it down...) was described as "Minister for Being Friends with Alex Salmond" and that's the vibe I'm getting from the utterly invisible Lisa Nandy getting to remain in post

2012h ago

Sunder Katwala (sundersays)

@sundersays.bsky.social

Lisa Nandy remaining as SoS for Culture, Media and Sport means that she will lead the BBC Charter Renewal process

1613h ago

Ben Robins2

Excellent news. She can also continue blocking the takeover of CNN etc by Trump's buddies at Paramount. I don't think many people in the UK appreciate just how important stoping this deal is for US media independence.

Janey Salisbury2

She's dreadful. Don't cabinet ministers get performance reviews? Maybe they should

Obsidian1

Possibly the most utterly useless cabinet minister since she was originally appointment. Completely absent from her role.

steve-n.bsky.social1

Hopelessly ineffective It pays to be a pal of Andy

1 source

bbc.co.ukScottish independence: Labour candidate Lisa Nandy criticised for Catalonia remarks

Lisa Nandy remains Culture Secretary in Burnham cabinetnews John Healey appointed chancellor as Andy Burnham forms cabinetnews Angela Rayner returns as Housing Secretarynews Epstein survivor Annie Farmer recounts meeting with Todd Blanchenews

Lisa Nandy remains Culture Secretary in Burnham cabinet

Related