Blur singer Damon Albarn has accused the Government of having ‘no empathy with the arts’ and for focusing too much on football.

The 52 year-old, who is best known for songs ‘Country House,' and ‘The Universal,' said: “This present Government has no empathy with the arts whatsoever and sadly that is a really important part of British culture. It is an essential part of British culture,” he told the PA.

"We live in a pretty f****** miserable country at times and we need our arts to uplift us. It should be part of the prescription for our national health.

"Maybe a little less emphasis on the Premier League just running and a bit more love given to the arts would be a start because, I’m sorry, I love football as much as anybody else but football alone does not sustain my soul.”

Albarn, who is also part of the band Gorillaz, is set for a series of virtual concerts with the band on December 12-13. 

The English Premier League 2020/21 season kick-started on September 12, and it was announced last week that fans would be allowed to return to stadiums in low-risk coronavirus areas.