UK Music chief executive Tom Kiehl has set out five key objectives for incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
The newly elected Labour leader is famously a big music fan, and shared his by-election playlist as his ascent to the House of Commons got underway. CLASH pored over the meaning of the playlist at the time – find out analysis HERE.
Now the chief executive of trade body UK Music Tom Kiehl has issued a lengthy statement, urging Andy Burnham to remove EU touring barriers and allow musicians to travel with greater freedom while doing their job.
A new five-point plan contains demands to remove EU touring barriers; crack down on ticket touts; use devolved powers to grow regional music communities; toughen copyright laws surrounding AI; ensure that a well-funded BBC continues to support grassroots UK music.
Find Tom Kiehl’s full statement below:
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.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.clashmusic.com ’
