Towards the end of November I recorded an edition of BBC Radio 4’s Front Row, with the other two Culture Secretaries. While we may disagree on some of the issues, the three of us get on well, and we got so carried away that we talked for twice as long as we were meant to! We debated all aspects of the culture portfolio, and it is great to see that culture isn’t being ignored in the growing hubbub before the general election.

At the beginning of December I was invited to speak at the Cambridge Union Society Presidential Debate. The motion under debate was “This house believes that the Turner Prize is a factory for cold, conceptual, mechanical bulls*”. This very rude motion references the famous quote from former junior culture minister Kim Howells. I was asked to speak against it, and I made much of the fact that politicians make very poor art critics. With a panel featuring art critic David Lee, Chair of the Turner Prize Committee, Stephen Deuchar, and Lloyd Grossman, the debate was a lively one. Unfortunately, we lost – I immediately expressed my disappointment via Twitter – but the fact we were talking about the Turner Prize shows that it is really doing its job to stimulate interest in the arts. Congratulations to Richard Wright, who was recently announced as this year’s winner for his stunning wall paintings.

But truly the focus this month has been on the Digital Economy Bill, and I have been sitting down with my friends in the Lords to dissect the issues, such as online file-sharing, broadband, and regional news. The government once had a very ambitious set of plans for the UK’s media and digital infrastructure, but this Bill will struggle to achieve them. With no time before the election, they have quickly drawn up a complete mess and asked Parliament to rubber stamp it. That’s not likely to happen – this Bill is so full of holes, it’s like trying to debate a Swiss cheese. Still, the topics it covers absolutely have to be addressed. We will just have to work with what we are given.

The year is almost over and Parliament will soon rise for recess, so my office hosted a drinks event for colleagues in the Liberal Democrat DCMS team. None of the usual clichés of office Christmas parties applied here, except the odd mince pie. The evening’s conversation began in a slightly business-like fashion, as everyone was keen to review our work over the past twelve months. Conversation only really heated up when the topic turned to X-Factor. Naturally I stepped in, but with Jedward and Danyl booted out, surely it was clear only Joe has what it takes? I was proved right!