No, Sajid Javid isn’t a luvvie. That’s why he’ll be a great Culture Secretary

I am taken to task by the Guardian’s Media Monkey for celebrating Sajid Javid’s elevation (as per the poster above) a little too much – and not caring very much that the new Culture Secretary is no expert in the arts. It argues the following:-

Javid’s lack of cultural hinterland – his Who’s Who entry lists no recreations – was acknowledged but relegated to the 14th paragraph of Fraser Nelson’s Telegraph profile (“he will stuggle to talk about his great love of the performing arts … It is certainly an odd casting – Javid’s expertise is in finance”) and the 23rd of Andrew Pierce’s huzzah in the Mail: “His knowledge of sport may be scant – he claims to support Manchester United – and few of his friends have heard him talking about culture and the arts.” All irrelevant, apparently.

I did observe in my first Tweet on Javid’s promotion that sending Javid to culture is like sending Ben Bernanke to run Glastonbury.