Growing sponsorship row leaves UK summer arts festivals in turmoil

Book festivals and events still sponsored by Baillie Gifford to meet investment firm amid row over funding

It is the sort of discussion that literary festivals pride themselves on being able to hold in a nuanced, civilised manner: are certain corporations ethical enough to sponsor the arts?

Yet the debate over the role of Baillie Gifford, an investment management firm, in several of the UK’s leading festivals has spiralled into a national row far too large to be contained inside a marquee.