chris bryant

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Chris Bryant

Chris Bryant has been appointed minister of state for the department of culture, media and sport (DCMS) in the new Labour government in the UK.

Bryant will work with new culture secretary Lisa Nandy at the department, the duties of which include allocating grant-in-aid funding for the British Film Institute (BFI).

The Welsh politician has been member of parliament for Rhondda since 2001, and is among the more senior MPs in the new Labour government.

He was shadow minister for the arts in the Labour shadow cabinet for nine months in 2015. During that time he gave an interview to The Guardian newspaper in which he said a Labour government should address the “cultural drought” afflicting areas outside of London and the southeast, and that he would encourage the arts world to hire people from a variety of backgrounds.

Bryant has also been made a minister of state in the department for science, innovation and technology, where he will work with Peter Kyle MP.

Bryant and other new ministers were appointed by Keir Starmer, and approved by King Charles. The new cabinet held its first meeting on Saturday, July 6 with Nandy in attendance.