Former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne will take up post on 1 September
George Osborne, the former Conservative MP, best known for extensive budget cuts during his time as head of the UK’s finances (2010–16), has been announced as the new Chair of the British Museum’s board of trustees. At the beginning of his time in government he cut England’s arts budget by 30 percent. Since leaving office Osborne has been editor of the London newspaper The Evening Standard and currently works as a partner at the investment bank Robey Warshaw.
Osborne will replace former Financial Times editor Richard Lambert in the role, and said of his new post: ‘I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the team at the British Museum – and so honoured to have had the opportunity to apply for this role, and to have been chosen by the Trustees to become their Chair. All my life I have loved the British Museum. To my mind, it is quite simply the greatest museum in the world. It’s a place that brings cultures together and tells the story of our common humanity.’
Hartwig Fischer, the institution’s director said: ‘George Osborne knows the Museum well and values the trust the Museum enjoys around the world. He understands the active role the British Museum is playing in the recovery of the country, creating opportunities for everyone to discover the collection as their own – onsite, through loans to their local museums and online.’
