Tuesday, October 13, 2020
UK Government pirouettes into a u-turn
The UK Government's undoubtedly genuine attempt to encourage people to retrain in the face of mounting unemployment came unstuck yesterday, when they put out a rather crass advert that not only stretched credibility but also underlined their own neglect and underfunding of the arts.
As the Independent reports, officials were foreced to pull a heavily criticised advert that suggested a ballet dancer could “reboot” her career and retrain as an IT worker amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Prime minister Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson admitted the advert, which was launched amid anger at the relative lack of government financial support for the creative industries, was “inappropriate”.
The spokesperson said: “This is part of a campaign encouraging people from all walks of life to consider a career in cyber-security. This particular piece of content was not appropriate and has been removed from the campaign.
The advert generated a whole selection of memes suggesting that various key figures in the government could retrain, including Dominic Cummings working for Specsavers or as a tour guide at Barnard Castle, and the Prime Minister moving over to opposition. You reap what you sow I suppose.
