....and luvvies say No Deal will make UK ‘a cultural jail’
LEADING British musicians including Ed Sheeran, Rita Ora and Sting have joined forces to warn that a No Deal Brexit will place the country in a ‘self-built cultural jail’.
The letter, orchestrated by Bob Geldof and addressed to Theresa May, says Britain’s departure from the EU threatens the ‘ vast voice’ of the £ 4.4billion industry which ‘dominates’ the market.
But critics point out that the UK’s greatest period of musical dominance came long before the country even joined the Common Market in 1973.
The Beatles and the Rolling Stones dominated world music in the Sixties and the UK won the Eurovision Song Contest – in 1967 with Sandie Shaw and jointly in 1969 with Lulu.
Tory MP Nadine Dorries said: ‘I’m from Liverpool and grew up as a massive fan of the Beatles – I know full well they conquered the world with no help from Brussels bureaucrats. How ridiculous that these luvvies are trying to pretend that Britain’s musical success is somehow dependent on the EU monolith. Are American artists disadvantaged by not being in the EU?’
Tory backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg said: ‘Handel did not need the free movement of people to come to England and compose the Messiah and Elgar did not need the EU to write Land of Hope and Glory.’
Those who signed the letter include Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, Bowie collaborator Brian Eno and Sir Simon Rattle, music director of the London Symphony Orchestra.
Mr Geldof said: ‘I am completely committed to having a democratic public vote to prevent the whole Brexit thing screwing us for the future.’
Signatory Howard Goodall, who wrote the Blackadder theme tune along with many choral music works, told The Observer: ‘People are going to lose their jobs if there’s no deal, and even if there’s a Chequers style deal there will be no provision for professional travel. Everything is going to change.’
IN highfalutin language, Sir Bob Geldof joins fellow pop-stars in warning Theresa May that unless she rethinks Brexit, Britain will be locked in a ‘self-built cultural jail’, with music like theirs silenced.
Instead of leaving the EU, he writes, she should be working to create a ‘rock ’n’ roll’ Europe: ‘Not the one dreamt up… by the undemocratic fiat of mediocre politicians or the dull exhortations of a pallid bureaucracy.’
Leave aside that efforts to reform the EU have failed for 40 years.
To put his mind at rest, Sir Bob should recall the 1960s – a decade before we joined the European club – when British bands had no trouble being heard around the world. Or does he think his EU- era Boomtown Rats enjoyed greater cultural reach than the Beatles or Rolling Stones?