Keir Starmer, leader of the U.K. opposition and of the Labour Party, has slammed the ruling Conservative government’s “direct attack” on public service broadcasters BBC and Channe…
Festival on Wednesday, Starmer said that the privatization of Channel Four would put £2.1 billion pounds of gross value added to the supply chain at risk over the next 10 years. It also risks putting 60 U.K. production companies out of business, “showing that the government just isn’t interested in growth,” Starmer said, adding that “a commercial BBC would rob us and the world not only of superb news services with unparalleled local knowledge but a valuable cultural export.
“The BBC and Channel Four are the narrators of our national story – they create jobs and drive productivity,” said Starmer. “The Conservatives threaten the future of these two great institutions. Plans to privatize Channel Four and the threat to the BBC as we know it, are a direct attack on some of the best of Britain’s creative work.”
Starmer challenged the assembled creatives to be “bold” and come together, “speaking out in defence of the value of public sector broadcasting, against the government’s attacks.” “I promise you this, you can do so, knowing that a government I lead will always have your back,” Starmer said., with red tape making it complicated and thus reducing an income mainstay of the British music industry to tatters, despite the current government’s assurances. Starmer said that should Labour return to power, they would push for further agreements with the EU., who made her speech, which failed to mention the BBC or Channel 4, via what appeared to be a pre-recorded segment.
“Creative professionals need to be able to travel abroad at speed – the impact on them has been particularly tough with musicians especially hard hit,” said Starmer. “The Conservatives believe that was enough to get Brexit done. Now we urgently need to make Brexit work. So we would push for a visa waiver for touring artists. And we would negotiate an EU-wide cultural touring agreement, including allowances for cabotage, carnets and customs rules.