Festival of Brexit was ‘monumental cock-up’, MPs tell culture secretary

Michelle Donelan admits government would not run event again with ‘the luxury of hindsight’

Michelle Donelan speaking to a parliamentary select committee (UK Parliament)

Nobody with “the luxury of hindsight” would repeat the government’s £120m festival of Brexit project, the culture secretary has admitted.

Speaking at a parliamentary committee on Tuesday, Michelle Donelan was told that the event, officially known as Unboxed: Creativity in the UK, had been a “monumental cock-up”.

Ms Donelan, who was appointed to her role by Rishi Sunak in September, took the opportunity to distance herself from the project and admitted there were “shortfalls” and “lessons learnt”.