Seek Europe-wide Visa-free work permit for Touring professionals and Artists – Petition Update
When I first put pen to paper and created the petition to Parliament calling for visa-free touring in Europe for artists and crew, I had no real clue of what I was letting myself in for. As I’ve said previously, I don’t really do politics. Still, my experience to date has restored my faith in democracy to some extent. The politicians are listening, and that’s a good start.
I said that I would keep people informed with the progress of the petition. It’s currently standing at nearly 264,000 signatures. This is amazing; the support has been phenomenal. I want to thank everyone for their backing and encouragement. Rock and roll means a lot to me, and I’m clearly not alone.
I’ve just had a telephone meeting with the Petitions Committee Clerk at Westminster. We are getting somewhere. I can inform you that the petition will definitely be debated in Parliament. It’s attracted a lot of interests amongst MPs and in the media. The Petitions Committee will be making an announcement in the coming days; maybe as early as tomorrow.
Watch this space…
I also wanted to highlight a few of the positives that have come out of the petition.
An open letter published in today’s Times newspaper has been signed by over 100 musicians and artists concerned about the future of touring.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/more-than-100-music-stars-attack-brexit-deal-687znfk66
We’re also getting a lot of other media coverage, which only serves to put more pressure on the government to do something about the issue.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55721729
I had a bit of a grumble about lack of representation and information for freelancers in the music touring sector. This seems to have struck a chord with our industry bodies. We are now beginning to see some clear communications about what is being done on our behalf. My thanks go out to all those involved.
I am sitting in on a meeting tomorrow with UK Music and other industry bodies, I will keep you informed of further developments,
That’s all for now. A rolling stone gathers no moss!
Timmo.
Sign the petition here:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/563294