Putting aside why music is important to me and to you, its importance to the UK economy is £5,200,000,000 per year. That’s 5.2 billion pounds.
Over 190,000 people were employed due to the music industry in 2018. So, you would think the UK government would work to protect the industry as it contributes so much fiscally. Exhibit One to the contrary: UK bands touring in the EU post-Brexit.
It was reported first that the UK government tried to negotiate visa-free access for UK bands but the EU did not want to know. Fast forward a week and The Independent reported that the EU were receptive to visa-free access for UK bands and rightly expected the same for EU bands.
The UK government refused this seemingly on the basis of the presence of maintaining a hard border. The touring element of the UK music industry is worth over a billion pounds and that includes bands touring from the UK and the businesses supporting this and also tourists from overseas who attend festivals and concerts here.
So what can be done about it? Who knows with a government who rejects economic logic for spurious dogma but there is an online petition which you can sign below. Further down the line, more rational decisions will be made hopefully but after COVID-19 has eased the last thing the UK music industry needs is a self-imposed obstacle.
Plugged In Brighton 