Hefty issues await new culture secretary Nicky Morgan

morganAnother week, another new face to charm for the marketing industry with Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan becoming to third Culture Secretary in just over a year, following new Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s night of the long knives.
Morgan succeeds Jeremy Wright, who had in turn succeeded Matt Hancock in July last year. Hancock had been handed the role in 2018, replacing Karen Bradley.
A successor for digital minister Margot James, who resigned last week, has yet to be announced.
Morgan is certainly no shrinking violet. As chairman of the Treasury select ­committee she was highly critical of TSB over its bungled tech upgrade, repeating claims that its acronym stood for “Truly Shambolic Bank”.
She also laid into Equifax in the wake of its eye-watering data breach, which saw the personal details of over 147 million people compromised.
Her in-tray at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport is groaning under the weight of some major issues.
As well as being in charge of the Information Commissioner’s Office, the department will be at the forefront of getting firms to draw up their own contracts for transferring data between the EU and the UK countries – as well as the US – in the event of a “no deal” Brexit.
DCMS is also overseeing the Competition & Markets Authority investigation into the £13bn online advertising market. Morgan will also have to wrestle with the unenviable task of trying to figure out how to achieve her new boss’ pledge to have “fantastic full fibre broadband sprouting in every household” by 2025.
On being appointed, Morgan said: “An enormous privilege to take on this fabulous role – although I’m sad to move on from Commons Treasury which I have absolutely loved chairing. Thank you to my fellow Select Committee members & committee staff.”

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