UK and EU warned against using musicians as ‘political football’ over visas
Freelance professional musicians gather in Parliament Square, London in October 2020, raising awareness of the need for targeted support for freelance musicians during the coronavirus pandemic and calling on the Government to recognise that freelance musicians are an economic asset
by Lamiat Sabin
Parliamentary Reporter
MUSICIANS are warning against performers and their road crews becoming “a political football being kicked around by the UK and the EU” in discussions over visa-free touring.
The Musicians Union (MU) is calling for performers to be exempted from the work-permit requirements imposed by European Union countries now that Britain has left the bloc.
SNP MP Pete Wishart, in an urgent Commons question, called on Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage to account for the impact of the Brexit deal on touring musicians.
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