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NANDY'S MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC AS SHE DECLARES HERSELF MINISTER FOR FUN, BUT WITH SERIOUS GOAL OF HITTING A WINNER FOR THE COUNTRY AS CULTURE SECRETARY

- JOSEPH TIMAN

LISA Nandy has set out her top priorities in government as the new 'minister of fun".

In her first interview as the Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, the Wigan MP told the Manchester Evening News that she wants to put football fans 'at the centre of the game'.

Returning from Germany where, alongside pop star Ed Sheeran, she watched England beat the Netherlands to secure a spot in the Euros final, she visited Gigg Lane to speak about plans to protect football clubs from going under, telling fans of Bury FC, 'never again.

Speaking to the M.E.N. during her first ministerial visit, she promised to get the new football regulator up and running 'without delay.

She also spoke about how she wants to open up opportunities for working class kids in media, film, dance and drama. And she committed to reviewing how public funding for the arts is spent to make sure that the north of England gets its fair share.

The newly-appointed Labour minister addressed officials at her new department in London this week, with staff from its Manchester headquarters watching online. But she told the M.E.N. that she plans to spend much of her time as secretary of state up in the north.

Q: Hi Lisa. How are you doing?

A: Well it's been a bit of a whirlwind, to be honest, the last few days. This time last week I was over in Wigan, banging on doors in the rain and now I'm back here at Gigg Lane talking to football fans about how we're going to make sure that we put fans at the centre of the game again. So it's been a pretty amazing week, but really exciting.

Q: So how does it feel? You've been on the sidelines for 14 years and now you're in power.

A: It's amazing, actually. But it also feels like a very heavy responsibility.

Across our arts, culture and sporting sectors there are lots of challenges.