It’s great news to hear that the Government has chucked £50M into the Tate Modern’s expansion pot. The Spice Girls aside, Tate Modern has been our greatest cultural success in a generation. It has turned the appreciation of art into an event, pushing it’s reach beyond the narrower following of more sober institutions. It’s impact has been such that it’s hard to believe the ‘Modern’ incarnation of Tate only began in 2000, with the opening of the iconic Bankside gallery.

Along with the Frieze art fair and it’s illigitimate offspring, Tate has put London right back at the centre of the international art world over the course of just a few years. It hasn’t happened by chance – the Tate’s success is down to the way it has been run. That success looks set to continue with the dramatic Herzog & de Meuron extension planned for completion in 2012.

The broader context to this is Britain’s strength in the creative arts as a whole. Creativity is something we do well, and it should be recognised as one of the cornerstones of our economy. This huge vote of confidence and financial boost is well deserved. After all, the money could have gone towards a hospital, but it would be a bad hospital. I’m glad that the £50M has gone towards creating something that will be truly great.