The General Election result creates a political landscape that is considerably more complex.
Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive of BPI & BRIT Awards, comments on the 2017 Election Outcome and sets out its priorities for British Music:
“The General Election result creates a political landscape that is considerably more complex. Assuming that the Conservatives form an administration, they will be under some Parliamentary pressure to adopt a more nuanced position in the Brexit negotiations, which many in business will welcome. However, greater uncertainty over an extended period, with the possibility of a further election before the full Parliamentary term, is unlikely to be helpful.
"In terms of priorities for music, our two main goals for the incoming Government are simple – to make the UK the most attractive place in the world to invest in music, and to support our industry internationally as it looks to keep growing British music exports. Whatever the exact shape of the new administration, as a priority it should immediately support the EU Commission proposals to require UGC platforms to pay fairly for the music they use to build their businesses.
"To ensure future growth of the UK creative economy, it should require online intermediaries to take more responsibility to prevent users accessing harmful or illegal content. Moreover, any new administration needs to encourage more investment into the UK - and by extending to the recorded music sector the creative tax credits that film, TV and games have benefitted from for some time we will make the UK the best place to make music.
“British music punches above its weight on the world stage, but, as streaming increasingly promotes a global market, our artists and labels face stronger competition than ever from overseas. The Government must make creative businesses a priority and ensure a Brexit deal that benefits creative businesses like music - making sure that UK artists can tour freely in EU markets and that UK businesses can access the best talent. The UK should also take the opportunity to boost exports by promoting strong IP protection.”
