How life has started for Wigan's Lisa Nandy as Culture Secretary
It is 220 days since Lisa Nandy was re-elected as the MP for Wigan for the fifth time, with an increased majority and vote share.
Following the 2024 general election, the newly-elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed her to the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
What are some of the actions she has taken so far as the Culture Secretary?
Five days after her appointment, she watched England beat the Netherlands in their Euro 2024 semi-final with Ollie Watkins scoring a 90th-minute winner in Dortmund.
The Football Governance Bill - sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport across which she has responsibility for overall strategy and policy - was included in the King's Speech.
The Government announced: “A bill will be introduced to establish an Independent Football Regulator to ensure greater sustainability in the game and strengthen protections to fans.”
Ms Nandy said: “I know better than anyone what that inaction means for clubs, not just like Bury, but for Wigan Athletic as well, my own club that went into administration. We nearly lost it twice.”
On 13 September 2024, the Government announced the estimated cost of rebuilding Casement Park stadium in Belfast had “risen dramatically” to more than £400 million.
The Government said it would not be providing funding to redevelop the stadium in time for Euro 2028, adding there was a “significant risk” it would not be built in time.
In the following month, Ms Nandy announced that independent film productions costing up to £15 million were to benefit from an increased tax relief of 53%.
In November, she confirmed the decision to end the National Citizen Service (NCS) programme from March 2025 despite its success.
She said: “Since its launch in 2011, the NCS has provided over a million young people with opportunities.”
Former Prime Minister David Cameron - who introduced the programme - posted on X: “I am deeply saddened and disappointed that the new Labour Government has decided to close down the National Citizen Service.”
Later that month, Ms Nandy announced a £13.5 million investment in training, research and development for creative technology firms and artists in Merseyside and the West Midlands.
And last month, she announced a £60 million package of support to drive growth, including a £40 million investment for start-up video game studios, British music and film exports and creative businesses outside London.
It has been a busy start to life in government, but one for which she had to wait a long time after being an Opposition MP for 14 years.