James Graham calls for more working-class people in TV industry

Elsewhere in his speech, Graham championed public service broadcasters, which he said must not be taken for granted.

Referring to critics of the BBC, he said: “Don’t they realise that without the BBC, we lose our competitive advantage over the US markets? That not-for-profit means British stories, set in British communities, with British characters are protected by the licence fee, and may disappear without it?”

Elsewhere, Graham suggested the new Labour government “should allow culture to play an active part in this promised national renewal – not just kept at arms-length in its own silo on the peripheries of policy making, as it so often is”.

He added: “Creativity and arts subjects have been systematically stripped from the education system in England over the past 15 years.

“A reduction of nearly half of all drama teachers, gone from those state schools since 2010. The slashing of hours devoted to music, dance.

“It’s therefore so important that we all hold the new government to their pledge to restore creative subjects to the core curriculum. All of us – here, in television, not just the arts.”

BBC News has asked the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport for comment.

Graham also touched on artificial intelligence (AI), a controversial topic within the industry, commenting that it could not replace the creativity of writing.

He acknowledged the threat posed by AI, but added audiences themselves will be likely to reject art not made by human creativity.

“For all of AI’s so-called efficiencies, and its very real threat to jobs, I have every faith that it will in fact be audiences that reject its encroachment into writing, creating content and art.

“Because the reason you cry at a Taylor Swift song, is that connectivity that comes with knowing that someone human has felt what you have felt, and so you feel less alone with your pain.”