Reform UK will tell Welsh museums how to present history, manifesto says
BBCReform's manifesto for the Senedd election says the party will tell museums how to display history if it wins, saying they will present events in chronological order and "in context".
In its manifesto the party says it will ensure publicly funded institutions "reflect the full breadth of Welsh history and culture rather than narrow or exclusionary narratives".
The pledges have prompted concerns from a body representing the UK's museums, saying it was vital curations were free of government interference. A union representing museum workers said it should be the people deciding how to present collections.
Reform claimed that "too often some public spaces are presenting divisive views of history".
It singled out Museum Wales' 2021 bid to "decolonise" its collection.
Meanwhile Reform's Wales leader Dan Thomas denied museums would lose funding because of the pledges.
The Welsh government funds a network of locations through Amgueddfa Cymru/Museum Wales, including Big Pit mining museum in Blaenavon and National Museum Cardiff in Cathays Park.
The organisation has suffered a funding crisis in recent years. St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff does not present its outdoor exhibits chronologically.
Reform's manifesto says the party would "restore evidence-led history".
It pledges that: "Publicly funded museums, heritage bodies, and interpretation sites will present history chronologically and in context, with clarity about cause and consequence".
The organisation is not specified in the manifesto, but the Welsh government is responsible for the Welsh heritage body Cadw, which manages historic monuments like Caerphilly's and Caernarfon's castles.
The party promises to "support modernisation" and "financial sustainability" for museums, but says it would ensure "publicly funded institutions reflect the full breadth of Welsh history and culture rather than narrow or exclusionary narratives".
Independence from government 'vital'
The Museum Association, of which Museum Wales is a member, said: "We are concerned that Reform UK's Manifesto for Wales appears to suggest that, if elected, they would seek to control how museums interpret history.
"It is vital that curatorial decisions are independent from government influence.
"Instead, museums should encourage active public participation in decision-making including through co-producing exhibitions with communities."
Prospect, which represents several hundred workers across Cadw and Museum Wales, said its members working in heritage "are experts in their field and they should be the people who determine how cultural institutions present their collections".
"It is unclear what Reform politicians think this kind of change would achieve, but for a party which claims to favour minimal state interference it is baffling that they think politicians should dictate the content and presentation of an exhibition."
PAA spokesperson for Reform added: "Too often some public spaces are presenting divisive views of history that are designed to make people feel guilty.
"For example, the former Museums Wales chief's 'decolonisation strategy' was one of the organisation's top priorities.
"We think there is much in British and Welsh history to be proud of - those things should be celebrated."
The museum's charter for "decolonising" the museums collection aimed to "confront history" and "challenge present-day injustices".
"Museums and their collections are often rooted in colonialism and racism – Amgueddfa Cymru is no different," the organisation said at the time.
The charter said "decolonising the collection means giving clear and explicit information to audiences on the history of objects and how they were collected".
In 2021 former chief executive David Anderson described the strategy as one of the body's "top priorities" at a Senedd committee meeting.
A spokesperson for Museum Wales said: "Amgueddfa Cymru exists to help people understand Wales' history in all its richness and complexity.
"Our role is to present a range of perspectives and experiences to allow people to create a better understanding of the past, its impact on the present, and how it can help us shape our futures together.
"Across our seven museums, we provide trusted, independent spaces at the heart of communities – places that belong to everyone, where learning, reflection and pride can sit alongside honest exploration of history in all its forms."
Reform leader Dan Thomas told BBC Wales there were "some museums that take a very niche view on our past that may talk about slavery, without the whole picture of the fact that the British empire was the first to abolish slavery, and that other countries have done it for, you know, millennia".
"So if they want to talk about narratives around historical facts, I think they should have the full narrative".
He did not say which museums he was referring to.
Asked if he would stop funding museums because of it, he added: "I don't think we'll get to that stage.
"We'll have a chat with them and see."
