Anti-Brexit letter signed by Paloma Faith, Annie Lennox and music execs

Several artists, music businesses, executives and UK music industry bodies have signed a letter calling on the UK Government for an alternative to Brexit.

Stars signing the letter drafted by Music4EU include Annie Lennox, Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, Paloma Faith (pictured) and film composer David Arnold.

Industry bodies supporting the initiative include The Musicians Union, The Association of Independent Music, Music Managers Forum, British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors and the Music Producers Guild.

Signatories from the music management sector include Ed Sheeran’s manager Stuart Camp, Raw Power who represent At The Drive-In, Bullet For My Valentine and The Damned, and Fleet River Management who represent The Chemical Brothers.

The letter states that “Brexit represents a significant threat to the UK’s Music Industry” and that “In the Post-Brexit UK, there is a clear risk that reaching consumers and fans will be more expensive, and international markets will be harder to access” and that “No-one voted for this situation, whether they voted Leave or Remain. It is critical to find a way out of this mess, and therefore we ask you to examine alternative options to maintain our current influence and freedom to trade.”

“Brexit is an unmitigated disaster for Britain’s world-leading music industry.”

Sammy Andrews, Music4EU

Sammy Andrews, CEO of Deviate Digital, and co-organiser of Music4EU said: “Rarely do so many factions within the music industry unite on any subject, but Music4EU’s signatory list so far is a clear indication of the level of concern over the current mess, and how widely it impacts every corner of this sector.

“Brexit is an unmitigated disaster for Britain’s world-leading music industry.”

You can read the letter in full below:


We, the signatories of this letter, represent artists, producers, managers, businesses, and platforms from across the Music Industry in the UK and are writing to express our real concerns over Brexit and the current direction of the UK’s proposed departure from the EU.

Brexit represents a significant threat to the UK’s Music Industry. Leaving the EU’s customs union, single market, VAT area and regulatory framework (in whole or part) could devastate our global market leadership, and damage our freedom to trade, tour and to promote our artists and our works.

The music industry contributes £4.5 billion to the UK economy, and our world-beating artists helped to create exports of over £2.5 billion, which is growing fast in a global digital music business. Live music is at the heart of every artist’s business and contributed around £1bn to the UK economy, and freedom of movement is core to an artist’s ability to tour and promote their art.

The EU’s proposed reforms to the Digital Single Market, many of which were submitted by the UK, are intended help consumers and technology businesses grow the market yet further, and the proposals for the EU Copyright Directive are designed to help protect the value of our industry’s output on major technology platforms. The UK music industry could be at a significant disadvantage to our peers in the countries remaining in the EU without these protections.

According to a survey conducted by UK Music on the Music Industry’s views on Brexit, only 2% thought Brexit would have a positive impact on their chances of work.

In the Post-Brexit UK, there is a clear risk that reaching consumers and fans will be more expensive, and international markets will be harder to access. Live events will run the danger of being delayed or even canceled, which would undermine the financial and cultural benefits that this vibrant sector brings to UK PLC.

No-one voted for this situation, whether they voted Leave or Remain. It is critical to find a way out of this mess, and therefore we ask you to examine alternative options to maintain our current influence and freedom to trade.


The signatories are as follows:

Paloma Faith

Alan McGee

Annie Lennox

Nick Mason – Pink Floyd

Chrissie Hynde

Carl Barat – The Libertines

Nadine Shah

Stuart Camp – Grumpy Old Management

Dave Rowntree – Blur

Association of Independent Music (AIM)

Beggars Group

Billy Bragg

Music Managers Forum (MMF)

Public Service Broadcasting

Enter Shikari

David Arnold

Jamie Cullum

Musicians Union (MU)

Music Producers Guild (MPG)

Featured Artist Coalition (FAC)

Fran Healy – Travis

Broadwick Live

Kilimanjaro Live

Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM)

Coda

Boomtown Festival

Nitin Sawhney

Fleet River Management

Solo Agency

British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors (BASCA)

Blood Red Shoes

British Sea Power

Get Cape Wear Cape Fly

Ben Robinson – From The Fields – Blue Dot / Kendal Calling

Ed Harcourt

Cll Jon Tolley – Banquet Records

Lightning Seeds

Stephen Budd

The Subways

Red Grape music

Peggy Seeger

David Manders – Liquid management

Beach Riot

Ralph Lawson – 20/20 vision recordings

Craig Jennings – Raw Power

Danny Goffey – Supergrass

Reverend And The Makers

Mark Davyd

Sammy Andrews – Deviate Digital

Cliff Fluet

Emma Greengrass

Simon Esplen

Alistair Norbury

Paloma Faith

Marillion

Emmy The Great

Danielle Perry – Miss Perry Presents Ltd

Cannibal Hymns

Tigercub

Stephen Taverner – East City Management

Carwyn Ellis – Pretenders

Band Of Skulls

Chris Carey – Media Insight Consulting and FastForward

Ros Earls – 104db management

Jonathan Wood – Ooosh! Tours Ltd

Peter Quicke – Ninja Tune

Laurence BellDomino Recording Company

John Giddings – Solo Agency

Amy Bee Sting- Oh My God! It’s The Church

Bill Ryder-Jones

Ellie Giles – Step Music Management

Kevin Fleming – Warp Records

Andy Edwards

Mick Patterson

Kat Kennedy – Big Life ManagementMusic Business Worldwide

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