Plans are underway to create a permanent Museum of the Prime Minister. Its mission is to conserve and interpret the history of the UK premiership, the longest-standing political office in the world.
The initiative has been proposed by Sir Anthony Seldon, a well-known political biographer, who is dedicated to educating the public about British history.
Seldon said: “It will be an interactive museum, using innovative technology like AI and holograms to display reconstructions of Downing Street. It is entirely politically neutral and will start at 1721, going right up to Rishi Sunak.”
The plan was announced alongside a new website and 185-page report written by the historical researcher Jonathan Meakin. In it, he outlines how the museum will overcome criticisms of its lack of diversity considering the largely white and male makeup of the premiership.
The report says: "The museum will have to tell the story of the British premiership in an exciting and interesting way. A good solution might be to emphasise a small number of important prime ministers in the permanent exhibition, while leaving out the rest.”
The strategy emphasises the importance of creating an innovative museum experienced by using audio headsets, interactive tables and augmented reality technology.
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The museum plans to generate revenue through the creation of a charitable foundation, building a network of donors, and charging entry fees.
It will collect and conserve items related to prime ministers and promote the values of leadership, good government and democracy.
Inspiration has been drawn from presidential libraries in the US and exhibitions like the Charles de Gaulle Historial, which have enjoyed widespread success.
Many political figures have endorsed the development of the project. John Major, who served as prime minister between 1990-97, said: “I believe this museum will bring to life the context of their premierships, their hopes and fears, successes and setbacks. I wish it every possible success.”
I know that it’s been picked out of context but this quote worries me:
“The museum will have to tell the story of the British premiership in an exciting and interesting way. A good solution might be to emphasise a small number of important prime ministers in the permanent exhibition, while leaving out the rest.”
So, in other words, the history of the British premiership is either too dull or too unsavoury to warrant a museum? It’s a very odd statement when read in isolation. Surely the challenge of any museum is to present the evidence in as accessible and interesting a way that people can better immerse themselves in, and understand the past – and in this case, I would hope, have a greater sense of what we should be expecting from Prime Ministers in the future. Personally, a success factor for a museum like this would be to inspire a future PM. But it doesn’t sound too inspiring right now.