The United Kingdom has elected a new government. After the country's General Election on Thursday (July 4th), Labor won an overwhelming majority with 412 elected MPs and its leader Sir Keir Starmer, is the new prime minister. The UK has been under Conservative rule since 2010, but the Rishi Sunak-The party he led lost 249 seats, finishing with just 121, the worst result in its history.
This is not surprising as opinion polls have consistently put the left-wing Labor party ahead of its rivals. The only real question was how comprehensive the result would be. Starmer's success rivals that of the previous prime minister Tony Blair and his landslide victory with Labor in the 1997 General Election.
Starmer campaigned on a “Change” ticket, but few knew quite what that meant. There were promises of economic growth and greater respect for the office, but a final YouGov poll released the day before the election found only 5% of registered voters choosing Labor MPs for “political reasons”. Despite a majority of seats – 326 elected MPs are required to win in the UK electoral system – Labour's share of the vote has increased by just 1.5% since the 2019 General Election which they lost overall. It was a line of attack hammered out repeatedly: What does Labor really stand for?
It's a question the music industry is also asking. Between the cost of living crisis, rising inflation and the long-term impact of Brexit, a perfect storm is brewing under the Conservatives, who, as Ed Sheeran suggested earlier this week, “didn't value art at all”.
There are positive noises. In their manifesto, Labor says it will “implement the creative industries sector plan as part of our industrial strategy, creating good jobs and accelerating growth in film, music, games and other creative sectors”. There are references to helping artists tour the EU, securing “new consumer protections for ticket resales” and plans to ban “no-fault” evictions which, as NME has been mentioned before, it contributes to the housing crisis felt by creatives and society at large.
Michael Keel, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), is optimistic that the members he campaigns for — venues, clubs, bars, artists, workers and more — are feeling positive about the new government. 44% of respondents to NTIA's Consumer Insight Survey believe Labor supports arts, culture and sport, compared to just 11% of the Conservatives.
“There's been a lot of positive rhetoric behind the scenes,” says Kill, but “it still seems very unclear where Labor is from the manifesto”. Now there will be additional concern about it Thangam Debbonaire, who was widely tipped to become Minister for Culture, Media and Sport, failed to win her seat in her Bristol Central constituency. she is one of only two shadow ministers who did not join the party in government.
The changes demanded by Kill and other industry bodies such as the Music Venue Trust (MVT) are simple. He points to the VAT (Value Added Tax) rate that campaigners such as NTIA and Save Our Scene want reduced to 12.5% and a reduction in VAT on tickets for grassroots music events. They say these changes will bring them closer to comparative rates in Europe.
In 2022, the night-time economy was estimated to generate £136.5bn, up from £121.3bn before the 2019 pandemic, but the NTIA report notes that inflation and rising operating costs mean any gains turnover will be “essentially exhausted.” Between political, legislative and financial issues, the live music and hospitality industry is on the back burner.
“We have to change the attitude about the value we offer,” says Kill. “The night economy needs to start being perceived as non-burdensome and value-driven. The concern we have is that the UK will lose that status as a real driver of culture.”
There are similar pressing issues for artists as well. Lily Fontaine, lead singer of indie-rock band English Teacher, who released their critically acclaimed debut album This could be Texas on Island Records this year, says artists like themselves are in dire straits. “I still don't win. It's still a struggle for me and my band,” he says. “And it's even more of a struggle for smaller artists trying to make a career.”
When Fontaine gave evidence to the Parliamentary Culture, Media & Sport Committee on Music Venues in March, she pointed to the “cost of touring” crisis and the burden on her and her band to keep their tour crew — from technicians to production staff — employed and paid. Although the band received funding from the PPL Momentum Accelerator to help record their first single, the huge cost will result in a landscape that is unrepresentative of the UK's diverse music scenes.
“We didn't have enough time to hold down full-time jobs to get enough money,” Fontaine says. “It was so hard to create and enjoy creating [our debut album] when you should think about winning. Then that creates a homogenized scene because only people who can afford it would do it.”
Manchester musician Chloe Slater – who released her single 'Nothing Shines On This Island' earlier this year – is concerned that young people are being penalized by music events that help inspire creativity and that grassroots music venues are closing at an alarming rate. MVT says 125 grassroots venues have closed in 2023, while the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) says 50 independent music festivals have been cancelled, postponed or closed in 2024.
“Places and grassroots festivals [are] where young musicians hone their craft and the industry is an ecosystem,” says Slater. “And if you lose those spaces, that's a huge part of it. I don't understand where all the new artists are supposed to come from if they're not there.”
MPs recommended ticketing larger venues to help support grassroots venues. Kill welcomes this proposal, but wants to ensure that the entire ecosystem is supported, not just music venues. Elsewhere, Labor has proposed a crackdown on secondary tickets, but its position on artificial intelligence remains uncertain, even though it has become a pressing issue in the music industry and beyond.
The record is swelling and the UK music industry is holding its breath, hoping the new Labor government can rise to the challenge.
