A romantic novelist has rubbished calls for fiction writers to be subsidised – arguing the cash should go to local newspaper journalists instead.

Jilly Cooper spoke out after Arts Council England revealed it is intending to begin discussions with the government about the possible introduction of a tax relief for independent book publishers.

Mrs Cooper worked as a journalist at the Middlesex Independent between 1957 and 1959, before going on to a career in publishing.

She has previously revealed her sadness at local newspapers “closing down like mad”, describing them as “the guardians of our morality” in a 2016 interview.

Speaking this morning on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme about Arts Council England’s plan, Mrs Cooper said: “What about poor journalists who are being sacked? Local newspapers are closing down, we heard about so many journalists being sacked just before Christmas.

“I think newspapers are where people learn to write so I don’t think literary fiction should be picked out specially.”

She added: “Journalism and newspapers ought to be supported much more than literary fiction.”