Boris Johnson has vowed to satisfy with MPs to debate the continued uncertainty surrounding the influence of Brexit on touring musicians from the UK.
The Prime Minister’s post-Brexit commerce cope with the EU noticed staff from some professions being allowed to journey on enterprise with out the necessity to apply for a visa.
Nonetheless, musicians and their crew were not covered in the deal, adding huge costs to future tours of the continent – in addition to doubtlessly stopping rising UK talent from being able to afford to do so.
The knock-on impact, it’s feared, can be the creation of a possible “glass ceiling” which might threaten the steadiness of the £5.8 billion music business.
Whereas a petition calling for Europe-wide visa-free touring for musicians has been launched, a government spokesperson subsequently blamed the EU and instructed NME that they’d rejected their proposals, earlier than final weekend noticed reviews emerge that the UK authorities had really turned down a “normal” proposal that might exempt performers from needing a visa to enter nations within the EU for journeys below 90 days.
Addressing the commons at Prime Minister’s Questions this lunchtime (January 13), Boris Johnson vowed to satisfy with MPs in an effort to tackle their considerations surrounding the problem.
Responding to the assembly request from Cardiff West MP Kevin Brennan, Johnson mentioned: “I’ll in fact guarantee that there’s a correct assembly with the honourable gentleman and his colleagues on this topic, which is extraordinarily vital.
“I do know that our mates within the EU will probably be eager to go additional to enhance issues for not simply musicians, however enterprise travellers of every kind. There’s a mutual profit.”
His vow comes hours after Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden argued to NME that the federal government had “fought to get a superb deal for British music exactly as a result of we recognise how worthwhile this business is to the nation”.
Arguing that visa-free journey for artists and crew was mutually helpful for each the UK and the EU, music industry bosses have also spoken out to claim that there was now “no excuse” for not discovering an answer.
This week has additionally seen music business insiders voicing their fears that the current Brexit deal could also prevent UK artists from being able to play in the US, claiming that if artists are unable to amass “worldwide recognition” by means of the standard channel of taking part in neighbouring European nations with ease, then this might make them ineligible for a visa.
