Government is killing Cool Britannia say creative industries

Representatives of creative and cultural industries have issued indictments of the Government's Brexit policies for the damage they have done to the music, fashion and theatre sectors and to Britain's image abroad.

In a session of the cross-party UK Trade and Business Commission, stinging criticism was offered of the Brexit deal which continues to cause serious difficulties for the sector six months after the end of the Brexit transition period. Specific government departments were also chastised for failing to work with the creative industries to improve the situation and for proposed solutions falling on deaf ears in government.

Since 1st January, musicians have found costly visa applications and customs declarations incompatible with last-minute live gig opportunities and touring across Europe.

Craig Stanley, promoter and tour producer at Marshall Arts Ltd Management, said: “Artists have to travel internationally to develop... the Beatles went to Hamburg to become a band. That’s as true today as it was then..."

"No trucks means no tours... We think there needs to be a cultural exemption. I put that to Lord Frost when I met with him along with David Furnish and Elton John and I was saddened in his rejection of that ask... He would not be drawn on explaining why... As we come out of Covid, tours will not happen. I cannot be more blunt than that,"

Deborah Annetts, Chief Executive of the Incorporated Society of Musicians added: “We are now way less cool than we used to be... Music doesn’t really recognise boundaries and borders perhaps in the same way that Governments do, as creativity can come from anywhere... it's the way the industry works. It's not something that thrives if we don't have collaboration.”

Those in the fashion industry, worth £35 billion to the UK economy and which employs 1 million people, explained how increased red tape has stalled their supply chain and damaged their competitiveness overseas.

John Horner, Managing Director, Models 1 Limited said: “We estimate that in 2019, 10,000 model trips were made to Europe... but like the music industry we are getting clients saying, "No British models because it's too much hassle." Simple as that."

Patrick Grant, Director of bespoke tailors Norton & Sons of Savile Row added that the damage to Britain's reputation abroad due to Government policy has caused further problems: "We are also suffering because the image of Britain as a culturally exciting and culturally liberal place has been tarnished by things like the hostile environment. We are seen now as a less cool country than we were before... that's a pretty significant difficulty."

Testimony from this session of the Commission, alongside substantial written evidence, will be used to make rapid recommendations to the Government so that trade deals can be improved.

The session was co-chaired by  Tamara Cincik Founder and CEO of Fashion Roundtable and Dame Rosemary Squire, Executive Chairman of leading live-theatre company, Trafalgar Entertainment.
 

Tamara Cincik said,

"What we heard today is that the plight of these hugely important sectors are falling on deaf ears in government and it's emerging British talent who are paying the price.

"Not all of these issues require renegotiation with the EU and are in the UK Government’s gift to unilaterally change which would be transformative on issues such as garment workers on the shortage occupation list at least until such time as the T Levels are rolled out and completed. 

"We want to work with the Government to fix these problems and we will be taking this evidence to them along with our own recommendations.”

Dame Rosemary Squire added,

“In their agreement with the EU, the Government have ignored the needs of people working in creative and cultural industries.

“Those who earn a living touring and working across borders don’t want to hear more rhetoric or recriminations, they want solutions and today's evidence will help us find some”

Notes to Editors

Best for Britain Press Office
Email: niall@bestforbritain.org
Call: 075 4010 0933

The UK Trade and Business Commission was launched in April to provide independent scrutiny of the UK’s trade deals with Europe and the rest of the world. It brings together eleven MPs from all nine Westminster parties and all four nations of the UK, along with business leaders and expert economists. The Commission is co-convened by Hilary Benn MP and the Chairman of Virgin Group, Peter Norris, and the secretariat is provided by the cross-party, pro-internationalist group Best for Britain.

Those giving live evidence today were:

• Deborah Annetts, Chief Executive of the Incorporated Society of Musicians

• Simon Chambers, Owner, Storm Model Management

• John Horner, Managing Director, Models 1 Limited

• Craig Stanley, promoter and tour producer, Marshall Arts Ltd Management

• Kash Bennett, Managing Director, National Theatre Touring Productions

• Julian Bird, Chief Executive, Society of London Theatre

• Paule Constable, Award winning British lighting designer

• Patrick Grant, Director of bespoke tailors Norton & Sons of Savile Row.

Today’s session of the Commission was streamed live here and can be watched back here.

Polling by Best for Britain has found that two-thirds (66%) of small business owners say that now the UK has left the EU, we should cooperate in areas of mutual benefit such as trade, foreign policy and climate change.

Following the Commission’s session on the issues faced by small businesses, the Commission wrote a letter with recommendations to Michael Gove, Lord Frost and Liz Truss. It was subsequently reported that Lord Frost intended to meet with the Commission to discuss their proposals.