Baroness Hodge, former chair of one in every of Westminster’s most influential choose committees, is being lined as much as lead a evaluate of Arts Council England’s use of public cash amid a rising backlash within the cultural sector over the path of its funding.

Sky Information has learnt that the Labour peer, who chaired the general public accounts committee and was a minister throughout Gordon Brown‘s premiership, is near being appointed by Lisa Nandy, the tradition secretary.

Sources stated her appointment to go the evaluate of ACE’s use of taxpayers’ cash was more likely to be introduced earlier than Christmas.

It would place Baroness Hodge on the helm of what’s anticipated to be a carefully scrutinised inquiry, with the distribution of ACE’s funding exterior London having develop into a very contentious space.

Many main cultural figures have attacked the federal government’s resolution to divert a piece of the cash away from the capital, the place lots of the most outstanding arts establishments are based mostly.

In March, the Division for Tradition, Media and Sport (DCMS) introduced that Dame Mary Archer, spouse of the novelist Jeffrey, would lead the evaluate, saying it could be the primary such initiative since 2017.

The evaluate was postponed, nonetheless, because of Rishi Sunak’s resolution to name the overall election.

ACE is receiving an annual sum of £445m throughout the 2023-26 funding interval, a rise from £410m within the final spherical.

A DCMS spokesperson stated: “We don’t touch upon hypothesis.

“We’ll announce subsequent steps on the evaluate of Arts Council England in the end.”

Baroness Hodge has been contacted for remark.