“We will resist implementation of the Artist’s Resale Right pending the re-examination of its impact on the British art market, and will oppose any further EU directives that threaten to challenge Britain’s pre-eminence in this field.”
They have also made a pledge to set up a £150m National Acquisitions Fund to pay for the purchase and conservation of works of art and other property of national importance.
The Lottery-funded pledge stands alongside another to keep admission to museums free.
David Barrie, Director of the National Art Collections Fund, the UK’s largest private arts charity, gave the fund pledge a cautious welcome.
“The idea of a National Acquisitions Fund is not as NAF as it sounds,” he said. “Whoever gets into No. 10 on May 6 must ensure that our museums are able to do their job properly – and that includes being able to add exciting and significant things to their collections. Otherwise they will gradually lose their vitality and their visitors.”
Tory manifesto arts pledges
The Conservatives have vowed to fight Droit de Suite in their election manifesto. “Conservatives believe the Artist’s Resale Right will be highly detrimental to the British art market, and will benefit competitors outside the EU,” the manifesto reads.
