Keir Starmer asks for creatives to defend against government attack on BBC

Keir Starmerleader of the UK opposition and of the Labor Party, delivered a “direct attack” by the Conservative government on public service broadcasters BBC and Channel No. 4 and challenged the creative sector to oppose it.

UK TV rights fees, the BBC’s main source of income, been frozen for two yearswhile one consultation is underway on the privatization process of Channel 4.

Give a keynote speech in 2022 Creative Alliance Festival on Wednesday, Starmer said that the privatization of Channel Four would put the total value added of £2.1 billion to the supply chain at risk over the next 10 years. It also risks shutting down 60 UK manufacturing companies, “showing that the government doesn’t care about growth,” said Starmer, adding that “a commercial BBC station would rob them of their money.” I and the world are not only great news services with unparalleled local knowledge but a valuable cultural export. ”

Starmer said: “The BBC and Channel Four are the tellers of our national story – they create jobs and drive productivity. “The Conservative Party threatens the future of these two great institutions. Plans to privatize Channel Four, and the threat to the BBC as we know it, is a direct attack on some of Britain’s best creative work. “

Starmer challenges the assembled ads to be “bold” and come together, “to speak out in defense of the value of broadcasting in the public sector against government attacks”.

“I promise you this, you can do it, knowing that a government I lead will always have your support,” Starmer said.

The implementation of Brexit has dealt a heavy blow to UK musicians touring Europe for concerts, with red tape complicating it and thus reducing the main income of the British music industry, despite guarantees from the current government. Starmer says that if Labor returns to power, it will push for further deals with the EU.

Opening speech of the festival assigned by Culture Minister Nadine Dorries, who delivered his speech, which made no mention of the BBC or Channel 4, through what appeared to be a pre-recorded segment. Starmer appeared live and stayed 15 minutes after his keynote to answer crowdsourced questions from creative industry activists in the UK. While Dorries talks about the music sector as an example of the UK’s “creative powerhouse”, she doesn’t mention touring.

“Creative professionals need to be able to go abroad quickly – the impact on them is especially hard on musicians especially hits,” says Starmer. “The Conservatives believe that is enough to get Brexit done. Now we urgently need to make Brexit work. So we will promote visa exemption for touring artists. And we will negotiate an EU-wide cultural touring agreement, including vandalism allowances, carnets and customs rules. “