According to the Labour Party website the Labour Party have achieved the following in their time in power:

Why Labour?

Labour believes that sport, the arts and culture play an integral part in enhancing the quality of life for everyone, and uplifting community well-being, as well as making a significant contribution to Britain’s economy.

We believe in making sport and culture accessible and affordable for all. In 2002, just 25 per cent of schoolchildren undertook two hours of physical activity a week, but this has now been raised to 90 per cent thanks to the support provided by Labour in Government and the work of parents, teachers, coaches and volunteers. Meanwhile, since 1997, Britain’s cultural institutions have seen a renaissance, with unprecedented investment combined with the introduction of free admission to museums and galleries.

We also want to ensure that all of Britain benefits from the digital revolution and has access to broadband. We believe in an active industrial policy to ensure we make the most of the digital revolution, and in making the necessary investment in our digital infrastructure now.

Key achievements:

* More than £2 billion invested in school and youth sport by 2011; 90 per cent of 5 to 16-year-olds now do at least two hours of PE and sport each week.
* The Heritage Protection Review: an ongoing programme to reform and improve the system of heritage protection.
* There are now over 50,000 playing fields in the UK. Strong measures have been put in place to ensure playing fields are not lost and secure better sports facilities for all.
* Introduced the £140m Swimming Challenge Fund which is helping local councils to provide free swimming to over 60s and under-16s at over 1000 local swimming pools.
* Free admission to Britain’s national museums and galleries.
* Launched a £2.5 million free theatre programme for under 26 year olds at 95 venues all over England.
* Increased funding for the arts by 73 per cent over the last ten years.

New Labour, your Britain:

* We want everyone to enjoy free swimming by 2012
* We aim to deliver a world class school sports system, with all children offered 5 hours of PE and sport each week
* An ambitious vision for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games: combining world class venues and facilities with a legacy of regeneration for one of Europe’s poorest areas and inspiration for a generation of Britain’s young people.
* We want to open up the arts and culture to as many people as possible, building on the Find Your Talent and free theatre schemes, as well as free museums and galleries.
* We will ensure universal access to today’s broadband services at 2Mbps by 2012. We will establish an independent national fund to ensure maximum next generation broadband coverage, funded by a 50p monthly levy on fixed phone lines.

Labour Party Culture, Media and Sport Policy :http://www.labour.org.uk/culture-media-sport-policy

I would be interested to hear both positive and negative views on Labour’s Culture, Media and Sport policies in the comments below?