National Gallery's £8.2m deficit reignites free museums debate

The revelation that the National Gallery in London is facing a £8.2m operating deficit has made it the latest pawn in a mounting struggle to retain free entrance to all Britain's state-subsidised museums and galleries.

- Vanessa Thorpe Arts and Media Editor

Staff at the gallery are already being offered payoffs, and compulsory redundancies are expected to follow if further savings are needed to meet the shortfall.

The uncovering of the deficit, first reported by the Art Newspaper last week, follows shortly after the gallery's director, Gabriele Finaldi, was widely congratulated for bringing in two donations worth £150m each.

But the mystery of the missing money, thought to be due in part to recent building work and ambitious expansion plans, has already been used by those behind a political drive to introduce entrance fees at key sightseeing attractions.