The U.K.’s entertainment industry has responded to Labour’s landslide victory in the country’s general election, which ends 14 years of Conservative rule with Keir Starmer set to become prime minister.
With Labour’s win widely anticipated thanks to the plummeting public support for the Conservatives, performing arts union Equity sent out a statement long before the first results were announced that laid out some of its hopes for the incoming political regime. “With the election completed, our new government must get to grips with the performing arts and entertainment, a critical sector for the U.K.
’s long-term success,” it said. “We’ll be pressing the new administration to set out a long-term plan for U.K.
arts funding to reach the European average, to tackle the high upfront fees charged by casting directories, to make Universal Credit fairer for freelancers, to ensure public subsidy only supports work on decent union terms and to fight for better rights in the video games and TV commercials sector.” The union added: “There are no creative industries without this incredible workforce. It’s time politicians stand up and offer them the same recognition that is offered by audiences across the world.
” Equity’s statement underlined a growing dissatisfaction from the industry as to how the outgoing government has handled various crises that have impacted the industry, not least the pandemic and Hollywood strikes that saw vast swathes of the U.K.’s pre.