Today I have called on Arts Lottery bosses to put right a major funding shortfall in Leigh.
New figures obtained by me from the House of Commons Library show that, over the first 20 years of the National Lottery, Leigh has received £265,167 - more than £6 million less than the average total per constituency of £6,444,923.
I am calling on the Arts Council to rectify the problem by supporting plans for the addition of a new performance space to the Turnpike Centre.
There can be no doubt - Leigh has been seriously short-changed from the Arts Lottery fund over its first 20 years.
The Arts world cannot continue to think it is acceptable to take the pounds of Leigh Lottery players and spend them on their elitist projects miles from here. It has got to change. Arts should be for everyone, everywhere.
There is a very simple way that the Arts Council could put things right. I am calling on them to get behind plans to add a theatre or performance space to the Turnpike Centre. It would be a focal point for Leigh's thriving creative scene and a place where our town could come together to celebrate the talent of our young people.
