Students and alumni at a film and television school in Buckinghamshire have criticised the institution for hosting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a 'disappointing PR stunt'.

The National Film and Television School (NFTS) in Beaconsfield has caught flack from past and present students after hosting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for a tour of the premises yesterday morning (January 22).

Although Jon Wardle, director of the NFTS, praised the Prime Minister's "enthusiasm and passion for the creative industries" during the visit, other students and alumni of the prestigious school have taken the opposite view.

Reacting to the news of Mr Sunak's visit on the NFTS' Instagram page, cinematographer and alumnus Adam Barnett wrote: "This is really disappointing. A conservative government that has gutted the arts and crippled higher education for the past 13 years.

"Art, on the whole, should hold the powerful to account. Not invite it for a tour so it can 'signal' its support."

Others associated with the school expressed similar views in the comments section, with Levi Scott writing: "It's impossible to imagine a scenario in which this attempted PR stunt could be anything other than grossly offensive."

Meanwhile, Marie Newton commented: "I'd like to know how NFTS felt this was an appropriate decision. The government has shown no support for the industry during the recent strikes", and Luke Predeth added: "As a student of the school, I'm so ashamed of this. (It) doesn't respect or reflect the value of what we as creatives believe in."

Bucks Free Press:

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During yesterday's visit, in which he was pictured against a backdrop of stormy CGI skies, the Prime Minister described the UK's film and television sector as a "powerhouse industry" which should be "celebrated and supported".

He said: "We have Europe's largest film and TV sector, and it contributes billions to our economy and employs millions of people.

"Pretty much every film that anyone saw last year will have had alumni from this institution working on it and that is something that should be supported by the government as it is because ultimately it helps us grow our economy.

"That's something that's really important to the country and we're training the next generation of talent right here and they're doing incredible things."

The UK government announced a £77 million funding boost to the creative industries in June 2023, as part of a wider aim to grow the sector by £50 billion and create a million more jobs by 2030.