UK & EU Point Fingers Over End To Visa-Free Movement For Performers; Thom Yorke Calls Gov “Spineless”

Elton John has met with Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden over the ongoing visa-free travel row in Europe.The singer said he had “very positive” talks with Mr Dowden about EU travel for UK musicians, but said visa-free touring is not currently “on the cards”.“It’s much more difficult for young artists to get this together because of all the red tape,” John told BBC arts editor Will Gompertz.

direct to your inboxProtesters from two direct action groups have blocked the entrance to an Oldham factory whose owner has won a new weapon technology contract with the British Army.Activists from Palestine Action and Extinction Rebellion also threw red paint at the walls of the Israeli-owned Elbit Ferranti factory, and displayed banners condemning what they called ‘systematic misjustice’.The protest at the plant, on Greenacres Road, comes weeks after the Ministry of Defence confirmed that

The Charlatans‘ Tim Burgess has become the latest artist to speak out against purported inequalities in streaming payments.The singer’s comments come after a select committee of MPs were told last month that emerging artists are facing “massive competition” from bigger and classic acts on streaming services.Writing in a first-person piece for The Guardian, Burgess said: “The basic point is that the UK music industry contributed an estimated £5.8billion to the economy in 2019, but artists are

Brexit.The UK Government has come in for heavy criticism since the UK officially left the EU earlier this month over the Brexit deal’s lack of support for touring musicians, specifically in terms of the failure to implement visa-free travel in Europe for British musicians and their crew.The petition was started last month ahead of the end of the Brexit transition period, and it has since amassed over 280,000 signatures.It will now be debated during a special virtual hearing of MPs, with

Nothing but love! Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin have set the standard for friendly celebrity exes — and the actress certainly doesn’t mind sharing her affection for her ex-husband.

payment holiday are now back to making full repayments. Some 130,000 mortgage payment holidays were in place at the end of December 2020, which is down from a peak of 1.8 million in June 2020, according to UK Finance.

British musicians who wish to tour the European Union will be required to obtain visas for each country they wish to perform in after the Conservative government declined to negotiate a special waiver, according to a report from The Guardian.

Leading UK musicians include Ed Sheeran, Elton John and Liam Gallagher have signed a letter stating that the UK government’s Brexit deal has failed the country’s performing artists.

Elton John, Liam Gallagher and Ed Sheeran have all signed an open letter to criticise the UK Government’s Brexit deal, which has shunned the chance for touring musicians to enjoy visa-free travel in Europe.More than 100 musicians say they have been “shamefully failed” by the post-Brexit trade deal in a new open letter published in The Times.The letter, which has also been backed by the likes of Queen‘s Brian May and Roger Waters, calls on the government to “urgently do what it said it would do

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit trade deal failed to secure visa-free travel for artists wishing to tour Europe (adding huge costs to future live music tours of the continent will be incurred and preventing rising and developing UK artists from being able to afford it), a row erupted over who was responsible.Last week, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden put the blame for this at the foot of the EU following reports that a “standard” proposal that would exempt performers from needing a visa to

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to meet with MPs to discuss the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the impact of Brexit on touring musicians from the UK, with the arrangements of his recent trade deal not yet securing visa-free travel for artists and their crew.Without the implementation of these ‘Musicians’ Passports’, it is feared that huge costs to future live music tours of the continent will be incurred – which would especially prevent rising and developing UK artists from being able to

direct to your inboxThe UK's chief medical officer Chris Whitty warned the 'worst point in the pandemic' is about to hit as coronavirus rates soar.Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Mr Whitty said the new fast-spreading variant was causing 'significant' problems in driving up transmission rates.He said: "So we have a very significant problem. Here in London, for example, one in 30 people currently have this coronavirus according to the Office for National Statistics.

Brexit negotiations.Yesterday (January 9), it was reported that the UK have turned down a deal from the EU that would allow musicians to enter countries that belong to the union without a visa.Boris Johnson‘s post-Brexit trade deal with the EU saw workers from some professions allowed to travel on business without the need to apply for a visa.

Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit trade deal with the EU saw workers from some professions allowed to travel on business without the need to apply for a visa.