In the wake of yesterday’s General Election resulting in a hung parliament this morning (June 9), senior British music figures have been reacting to the surprise result.
BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor has issued a statement on the outcome and outlined the priorities for recorded music that the BPI is calling on any new administration to take up.
“The General Election result creates a political landscape that is considerably more complex. Assuming that the Conservatives form an administration, they will be under considerable Parliamentary pressure to adopt a more nuanced position in the Brexit negotiations, which many in business will welcome. However, greater uncertainty over an extended period, with the possibility of a further election before the full Parliamentary term, is unlikely to be helpful.
"In terms of priorities for music, our two main goals for the incoming Government are simple – to make the UK the most attractive place in the world to invest in music, and to support our industry internationally as it looks to keep growing British music exports. Whatever the exact shape of the new administration, as a priority it should immediately support the EU Commission proposals to require UGC platforms to pay fairly for the music they use to build their businesses.
"To ensure future growth of the UK creative economy, it should require online intermediaries to take more responsibility to prevent users accessing harmful or illegal content. Moreover, any new administration needs to encourage more investment into the UK - and by extending to the recorded music sector the creative tax credits that film, TV and games have benefitted from for some time we will make the UK the best place to make music.
“British music punches above its weight on the world stage, but, as streaming increasingly promotes a global market, our artists and labels face stronger competition than ever from overseas. The Government must make creative businesses a priority and ensure a Brexit deal that benefits creative businesses like music - making sure that UK artists can tour freely in EU markets and that UK businesses can access the best talent. The UK should also take the opportunity to boost exports by promoting strong IP protection.”
Meanwhile, UK Music chief executive Michael Dugher - who, earlier in the week told Music Week what the biz's priorities would be in talks with any new government - had this response:
"UK Music congratulates all those elected at the General Election. Clearly the dust is settling and the situation will continue to unfold in the coming days, so we await developments. But, over the coming weeks, there will be many discussions about the future direction the country will take. It is paramount that the interests of the music industry are fully considered in those conversations and we look forward to engaging positively and working closely with the new parliament and the next government.
“The political parties each made welcome commitments to build on the successes of creative industries, and music in particular, throughout the election campaign. We will be holding their feet to the fire to ensure that they deliver on those pledges. Brexit is clearly the biggest issue facing the country – and our industry – and we will ensure that the interests of our members across the Music industry are protected."
Annabella Coldrick, chief executive, MMF, also commented: "Whatever follows on from the hung parliament and potential minority government, one thing we can take comfort from is that the Conservatives and Labour were very specific in their manifesto commitments to ensure that content creators are appropriately rewarded for the content they make available online.
"That's the MMF's priority too, and along with other creator representative bodies we will be re-doubling our lobbying efforts with the UK Government to tackle the lack of transparency in the digital marketplace. At the same time as addressing the Value Gap, the industry must change the NDA culture that denies artists, songwriters, composers and musicians not just clarity, but fair digital remuneration.
"In addition, following the successful FanFair campaign, both parties have publicly committed to ensure the revised law on ticket touting is now properly enforced and we look forward to working with the new government and the CMA to make sure this happens.
"With the help of politicians it is imperative that we fix these fundamentals for both the live and recorded business, restoring the connection from audience to artist, to properly reward the creative talent on whose shoulders our entire business sits."
Deborah Annetts, CEO of the Incorporated Society of Musicians, said: "The results of the General Election poses a situation more complex than could have ever been predicted. However, the priorities set out in the ISM’s manifesto for musicians remain the same.
"As reported only yesterday, 2016 was a record year for music thanks to UK artists. To date, the creative industries contribute £87.4 billion to the UK economy. But the only way we are to continue this success when other parts of the economy are beginning to struggle, is to ensure freedom of movement for the music community and an education policy which guarantees the creation of the talent for the future.
"The incoming Government must listen to the music industry and the creative industries. We are the future in this uncertain world."
FOLLOW 
