New Labour for the new labourers

In the UK, we used to have a Minister for Sport. Now we have a Ministry for Culture, which includes sport. It's run by doe-eyed Andy Burnham who last week was upset by how much money the Premiership chavs and proles were rolling in, but this week felt queasy about noble England lowering themselves to play for the Stanford dollar.

Oh yeah? Tell it to Darren Sammy, MS Dhoni, Swapnil Asnodkar, Shahid Afridi and all of the other kids from the villages of West Indies, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka who have been lifted up by playing for money in the Stanford match, the IPL and ICL. Money has driven cricket since 1844. Andy Burnham should find someone whose cash can get a bat into the hands of kids from Moss Side, Croxteth and Peckham, someone whose cash can lift up the people he apparently represents.

A list of recent cultural developments that haven't disturbed the Minister's delicate sensibility: 

Damian Hurst flogging his Beautiful Inside My Head Forever exhibition for £70m 

Daniel Craig cleaning up in the new James Bond film 

Louis Hamilton making £10m from his F1 season

Andy Murray winning $3m this summer  

They must be devaluing art, cinema and sport too? No? Andy? Hello....