By Monk
The head of the organization which represents the UK’s music industry has challenged new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to maintain his support for the £8 billion sector and implement a five-point plan for its continued growth.
During his nine-year tenure as Mayor of Manchester, Burnham was a massive supporter of the city’s grassroots and independent music venues, backing initiatives such as the implementation of the Agent Of Change principle in relation to planning applications and the introduction of the £1 ticket levy on major arena shows.
Now, Tom Kiehl, Chief Executive of UK Music, has called on the country’s new leader to take that regional support to a national level and set out five tests for him, and his newly re-appointed Culture Sector Lisa Nandy – who launched the Government’s new Music Plan just last week – to help boost jobs and growth right across the UK’s world-leading sector.
The tests are:
- removing costly and prohibitive barriers to touring the EU;
- delivering on the Government’s manifesto pledge to root out ticket touts;
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devolving power to grow music in towns and cities right across the UK;
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ruling out any new copyright exceptions in relation to Artificial Intelligence; and
- ensuring that a strong and well funded BBC continues to showcase and support UK music.
Tom Kiehl said:
We welcome Andy Burnham back in Westminster as the new Prime Minister and look forward to continuing our work championing the music industry with him.
As a former Culture Secretary and big music fan, he has a deep understanding of what makes the music industry tick. He also knows the challenges facing a sector which is one of the Government’s best international calling cards with the £4.8 billion we generate in annual exports.
UK Music has outlined five important tests for the new Prime Minister to ensure we can deliver on the Government’s ambition of ensuring our sector is one of its key pillars of economic growth.
We need greater Government action to deliver on its pre-election pledge to tear down the barriers of red tape and extra costs that make it so hard for UK music creators, performers and crew to tour the EU post-Brexit.
The new Prime Minister must speed up long-promised legislation to crack down on ticket touts who rip off millions of music fans by reselling concert and festival tickets at exorbitant prices.
UK Music is also keen to see the new administration develop Andy Burnham’s pledge for more devolution. As we have outlined in our Local Music Action Charter, music can be used as a key tool to help boost regional economies in towns and cities right across the UK.
The growing influence of Artificial Intelligence on our sector makes it more important than ever that the Government ensures there are guard rails to ensure music creators and businesses do not have their work stolen.
AI firms must seek consent if they want to use music, pay creators properly and be transparent about the use of AI. The music industry is not anti-AI – it is pro-creators and pro-business.
When it comes to the BBC and its charter renewal next year, it’s vital the Government remembers the value of music to the BBC and how important the BBC is in promoting and supporting the work of our fantastic musicians, songwriters, performers, singers and other creators. We need a strong, well-funded BBC that cherishes and supports music at its core.