Music Venue Trust launches manifesto ahead of UK general election
Ahead of the UK general election, scheduled to take place on July 4th, the Music Venue Trust has released a five-point manifesto it hopes political parties will follow.
The report is called ‘A Manifesto for Grassroots Music’, and seeks to secure the future of the grassroots music industry during turbulent times for the sector. As it stands, one venue a week is currently closing, and the MVT believes these five pledges would prevent more important community hubs from permanently shutting down.
The first pledge is a £1 levy on every concert held in venues above 5,000 capacity which would be redistributed to the grassroots sector. They also called for a “fan led review” that would establish “the long term challenges to the music ecosystem.”
Next up is the implementation of an agent of change principle in the National Planning Policy Framework, in order to protect venues. Furthermore, they want VAT removed on ticketing in grassroots music venues, as well as a reduction in VAT with overall ticketing to fall in line with European industry standards.
Finally, the Music Venue Trust is demanding the “creation of a specific business rates premises definition” for grassroots music venues, and the removal of business rates for “properties satisfying that definition”.
In a statement, Sophie Brownlee, external affairs manager at the Music Venue Trust, said the manifesto “is being delivered to every prospective MP in the country with the request that they come out in support of it as part of their campaign to be elected.”
Meanwhile, Mark Davyd, CEO of the Music Venue Trust, explained the frightening position that grassroots music venues currently find themselves in: “In 2023, of the 366 small music venues Ed Sheeran played while learning his trade, at least 150 are now closed.”
Davyd continued: “Another 72 grassroots music venues significantly reduced or ended their live music offer. 38% of GMVs in the UK made a loss in the last 12 months. The sector operated on a 0.5% profit margin overall while running live music events at a £115 million loss.”
He claims “all of this can be changed” if the next government agrees to fulfil the “five simple steps” established in the manifesto.
Earlier this year, in an interview with Far Out, Sacha Lord, the owner of Parklife Festival and Nightlife Advisor to Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, amplified the need for a reduction in VAT for the sector.
While discussing a possible Labour government following the general election, Lord said: “Help is on the way, but the one thing they’ve not committed to, and I really hope to do, is a reduction in VAT. We should be looking at 12.5 per cent, and getting 12.5 per cent of something is far better than 20 per cent of nothing, which is a shut business. If they did that, overnight they’ve scored five million votes, so it is a no-brainer.”
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