Robert Macfarlane, Feargal Sharkey and Matt Haig are among artists to react with fury to message about funding risks

Artists, writers and musicians have reacted with fury to an Arts Council England (ACE) warning that “political statements” could break funding agreements.

In a series of updates recently made to its policies, ACE advised the organisations it funds to be wary of “overtly political or activist” statements made in a personal capacity by people linked to them.