A letter has been sent to PM Boris Johnson on behalf of cross-party MPs demanding “urgent action” over the crisis facing musicians and crew touring the EU.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Music has also revealed plans to hold a cross-party inquiry into the costly barriers and delays facing musicians, particularly emerging artists.
Details of the two new initiatives come after Sir Elton John warned that the UK music industry risked losing a “generation of talent” and branded the situation a “looming catastrophe” for artists.
In the letter to Boris Johnson, senior Conservative MP David Warburton and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on music highlighted how the PM had pledged in March to “fix” the problems surrounding touring the EU.
On behalf of the cross-party APPG, Warburton called for a meeting with the PM to look at ways of overcoming barriers that mean artists and crew are required to apply for costly and complicated visas to tour some EU nations and face further transport headaches due to red tape.
In the letter, Warburton outlined three key areas where the MPs want to see urgent action:
-
The Government to ramp up negotiations with those EU nations that bar visa-free touring.
-
More steps to help UK artists touring overseas - such as the creation of a new Music Export Office.
-
Minister to explore the idea of forging a new European agreement exempting cultural tours from immigration and transport red tape rules.