PM Andy Burnham says Hastings and Rother children must be able to see Bayeux Tapestry
Prime Minister Andy Burnham says children from Hastings, the surrounding area, and across Britain must be able to see the Bayeux Tapestry for themselves.
Hastings MP Helena Dollimore has led a campaign calling for this to happen. This has been backed by broadcaster and 1066 Country resident David Dimbleby and the historian Dan Snow, who co-signed her letter to British Museum Chairman George Osborne.
She said its depiction of the Battle of Hastings had ‘literally wove Hastings into national history’.
At Mr Burnham's first PMQs, Ms Dollimore said: “Everyone is so excited about the return of the Bayeux Tapestry coming back to our shores for the first time in almost 1,000 years, and testament to this Labour government’s work to strengthen our relations with European neighbours.
"Hastings has often been at the centre of historical events, but we have not felt the benefits. We rank in the bottom 10 places nationally for social mobility.
"Thanks to my campaign, the young people I represent will get free priority access to the exhibition and will not be priced out by the cost of a ticket. Does the Prime Minister agree that this is great news and that the British Museum must do all it can to ensure as many people as possible from my area can see the exhibition?” Mr Burnham said he would ‘relay that message to the former Chancellor of the Exchequer [George Osborne, Chairman of the British Museum]’. He added: “We want the maximum number of kids to have access to stand in front of that tapestry while it’s here in the UK. It’s a major moment in our island’s history and it’s such a powerful one; they learn about it in school, they should be able to stand in front of it.”