Jude Kelly: Arts are a necessity, not a luxury

More funding should be put into the arts not less, says the artistic director of Europe's largest arts complex, London's Southbank Centre.

Jude Kelly said the government had not shown "any clear commitment" to the arts and was confused over how to prioritise it.

She said: "The arts have got to be embedded like the NHS and education."

The government department responsible said protecting arts funding was "simply not an option".