JOHNSON OFFERS HOPE FOR EU TOURING

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has offered some hope to the touring sector, which is dealing with issues resulting from the ongoing mess that is Brexit, by saying his government is working “flat out” to find a solution with EU countries.

DCMS Select Committee Chair Julian Knight MP asked Johnson on Wednesday why the music sector was allowed to “suffer a no deal Brexit” that has resulted in bureaucracy and prohibitive costs for British musicians and crew who want to tour in the EU.

Johnson said that talks are underway with EU partners and “strongly” shares the frustrations of the sector. “This is a massively important part of the economy that contributes many of billions of pounds to the economy and jobs and to the general joy of the nation,” he said. “It is hugely important and they are also a massive export industry. We must fix it.”

UK Music Chief Exec Jamie Njoku-Goodwin welcomed the comments. “It’s good to hear that the Government is ‘working flat out bilaterally with countries,’ and we look forward to hearing of more progress on this front soon. We stand ready to support Government in these negotiations with different member states, which must be an utmost priority.”