Culture department needs to relate to British society

Maria Miller (Image: BBC)

How do you solve a problem like Maria? Once, this was a popular TV talent contest in the UK where the nation was on the search the next Maria Von Trapp for the West End production of The Sound of Music. Ms Von Trapp was considered a 'remarkable' woman and was massively appreciated when she was in the convent, and afterwards. Her life is still remembered, more than 27 years after her death but it was fair to say that whenever she had a problem, she knew how to sort it out.

It is not so easy to say the same about a certain Maria who has dominated the front pages over the past ten days. Maria Miller MP was at the centre of an embarrassing political storm which caused widespread debate. It started in December 2012 when the Daily Telegraph exposed her of claiming over £90,000 in parliamentary expenses for her second home where her parents lived. After an investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, they said in February 2014 that Ms Miller must only pay back more than half of what she claimed. However, less than two weeks ago, the MPs Select Committee said she must repay just £5,800 of it, deeming the original investigation as 'too strict'.

Maria Miller's spending habits obviously caused burst of criticism from the public and politicians alike. They felt that she abused her expenses claims as employees must only claim such money for work purposes, not personal. But despite the anger, Prime Minister David Cameron supported and backed her stance. As she was Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, she played an important role at Number 10 and keeping her, Mr Cameron felt, was a necessity. But they both knew that it was the right decision that she went. It is a shame because I backed her to succeed after the Olympics.

One must be honest - initially - I didn't think that Maria Miller should have gone. Yes, I mean, she shouldn't have claimed what she claimed, but on the other hand, she couldn't have influenced the decision of the MP Select Committee for her to pay back so little of what she claimed. She may be an influential Member of Parliament but I don't think she has that much power. Having later analysed this, Maria Miller should not have used her parents as an excuse for work. They never worked for her. In addition, she abused her rights to claim expenses. If she was an employee anywhere else, she would have been given the boot in a click. Ms Miller got away with only resigning from the front bench. Now she has a greater challenge to boost her reputation and battle to keep hold of her Basingstoke seat 13 months from now.

The government is now in recovery mode after this latest scandal. After Ms Miller's departure, the role she held as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport was given to Sajid Javid who is now also Equalities Minister, another role Ms Miller resigned from earlier this week. He was a valued member of the Treasury for the past six months while the economy is statistically showing massive improvement. A banker by trade, Mr Javid's new roles are very different to what he's previously had.

I'm sure Mr Javid's appointment is a good one, although one feels that this role is more suited for the Press Secretary. Having said that, David Cameron knows he can't afford to make any more bad decisions as he is massively under-pressure as it is. As things were going rather okay for him, something disastrous like this was bound to happen. But I think he needs to start thinking about reforming the Culture department altogether.

Sajid Javid (Image: Daily Mail)

Since Mr Cameron became leader four years ago, we have had three Secretaries of State in the Culture department. Jeremy Hunt was the first one but because the exposure of his sweet relationship with the Murdoch Empire, he was given a promotion as Health Minister. Now that Maria Miller has also left quite dramatically, what does the future lie for Mr Javid? He has been considered as the rising political star but it will probably be a matter of time when he'll be exposed for something which would force him elsewhere.

It may appear that Mr Cameron has the inability to pick the right person for that job, but the department just seems out of touch with media and sport. In the modern media world, being friendly with moguls is frowned upon. Because Mr Hunt was so with the Murdochs, the government spent millions to get someone to warn them against acting generously to such people. Also, they have gotten top British actors to rebel against them because they've cut crucial Arts Council funding. Now, a lot of potential British talent are being unrecognised or if they do, they head to Hollywood for a lucrative career rather than staying in the UK. The department did so well to deliver a fantastic Olympic Games yet, it seems as if its legacy, which we had so much expectation about, appears to have vanished.

What the government needs to realise is that the Culture department is one of the most important to the British public. Culture reflects on society and people are affected by what they absorb in the media and many feel so passionate about sporting matters. Jeremy Hunt and Maria Miller should have realised that the public don't appreciate those accused of invading private lives while many are losing their trust in politicians because of what they spend using taxpayers' money.

Sajid Javid has a massive task ahead of him. He's been hyped by the papers as this 'rising star' but has to make a strong start by acknowledging the importance of culture, media and sport in Britain. Once I see him supporting the arts by properly communicating with those who are concerned about its future, and has a powerful say in how the media is regulated that would satisfy both the public and newspaper editors, then I'd be confident that the department is back on track. If he doesn't, then it would not surprise me that there would be more reshuffling in this department.