Annie Lennox, Jamie Cullum, Paloma faith among artists who sign letter warning of Brexit threat music industry

Leaving the EU will be an ‘unmitigated disaster’ for the £4.5 billion (€5bm) music industry, a joint letter has warned.

Annie Lennox

Annie Lennox (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Annie Lennox

Andrew Woodcock

December 12 2018 08:07 AM

Music stars including Annie Lennox, Jamie Cullum and Paloma Faith have joined figures from across the industry to sign a letter calling for an alternative to Brexit.

The letter warned that Brexit represents a “significant threat” to the UK music industry, which was worth £4.5 billion (€5bm) to the economy last year.

The message was drafted by the group Music4EU, whose co-organiser Sammy Andrews said Brexit was “an unmitigated disaster for Britain’s world-leading music industry”.

Among other stars signing were Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde, film composer David Arnold, Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason, former Oasis manager Alan McGee, Blur drummer Dave Rowntree and Mercury-nominated Nadine Shah.

Their call was backed by industry bodies including the Musicians’ Union, the Association of Independent Music, the Music Managers Forum, the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors and the Music Producers Guild, as well as Ed Sheeran’s manager Stuart Camp.

Pianist Jamie Cullum joined other music stars warning of the threat Brexit poses to their industry (Yui Mok/PA)

They wrote: “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…

“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 cancelled, 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.”

Mr Andrews, the chief executive of Deviate Digital, 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.”