The Labour Party has now launched its election manifesto, which you can read online here. In terms of relevance to the creative industries the manifesto makes the following key pledges.
- Labour recognises the ‘value gap’ between producers of creative content and the digital services that profit from their use, and will review the way that innovators and artists are rewarded for their work.
- Labour will introduce a £1 billion cultural capital fund to upgrade cultural and creative infrastructure, and invest in creative clusters.
- Labour will introduce of an arts pupil premium to every primary school in England – a £160 million annual per year boost for schools to invest in projects that will support cultural activities for schools over the longer term.
- Labour will ensure that tech companies are obliged to take measures that further protect children and tackle online abuse.
- Labour will review extending the £1,000 pub relief business rates scheme to small music venues.
According to the Creative Industries Federation, of which ACID is a member, they will be responding on the day to each of the main parties’ manifestos with an analysis of how they affect the creative industries and welcome the fact that Labour has adopted Federation ideas for safeguarding the success of the creative industries and ensuring future growth. The manifesto recognises the sector as “a source of national pride, a driver of inward investment and tourism, and a symbol of the kind of country we are now and aspire to be in future”.
The Federation set out a comprehensive set of proposals in their own general election manifesto and response to the government’s industrial strategy consultation. Labour has adopted the following:
– A commitment to put the UK’s creative sector at the heart of Brexit negotiations and future industrial strategy
– A commitment to invest in creative enterprise zones to enable our sector to thrive throughout the country
– A pledge to put creativity back at the heart of the curriculum and review the EBacc performance measure to ensure arts are not sidelined from secondary education
– A commitment to launch a nationwide creative careers campaign in schools to demonstrate the range of careers and opportunities available and the skills required in the creative industries
– Support for small music venues, as outlined in our report on the UK’s night-time economy
There are some major issues not yet addressed. The Federation urges more detail on crucial issues including a new visa system that recognises the needs of world-leading sectors such as the creative industries and on Labour’s plans for Brexit negotiations regarding our sector.
