Starmer: I’ll get tough with the touts
Campaigners and ‘entire music business’ hail plan to end rogue-trader stranglehold
A LABOUR government would cap prices on resale concert tickets to stop people being ripped off by touts.
Keir Starmer has said that “culture should be for fans, not excessive profit”.
It comes after the Record led the way in calling for reform through its Stub Out the Touts campaign.
The UK Labour leader is working alongside pop star Will Young in a bid to stop fans having to pay over-the-top prices to see gigs.
He is planning to bring in a maximum percentage above the retail price which touts can sell tickets for. This is believed to be about 10 per cent and it would apply across the whole UK.
Starmer is also planning to limit the number of tickets a person can sell on a platform.
Labour has also pledged to give the Competition and Markets Authority extra powers to prevent sites from ripping customers off.
Starmer said: “Access to music, art and theatre for hardworking Brits can’t be at the mercy of ruthless ticket touts driving up prices.”
He added: “Hours spent refreshing ticket resale websites, only to pay through the nose to see an artist you love, is frustrating and unfair.
“Labour will cap resale prices and ban ticket hoarding. Culture should be for fans, not excessive profits.”
Campaign group the Fanfair Alliance welcomed Starmer’s announcement. A spokesman said: “It’s been an extraordinary 24 hours for those campaigning for a fairer and more consumerfriendly ticket market.
“On Wednesday, a group of rogue ticket traders were convicted of a £6.5million mis-selling scheme, while a number of pro-consumer ticketing amendments were voted through in the House of Lords. Both these events could have seismic impacts on rip-off ticket touts and websites like Viagogo that they trade across.
“Then on Thursday morning, we saw Labour leader Keir Starmer announce a range of policy commitments to clamp down on rampant online ticket touting.
“This was incredibly well received across the entire music business.
“We’re now optimistic that we’re on the cusp of genuine change, which is also testament to the hard work and dedication of campaigners – including the Record and their Stub Out The Touts initiative, which has shone a light on the workings of this murky and corrupt industry.” Singer Will Young backed the move.
He said: “This will ensure that more people can get to events for the correct and fair price and that people passionate about the arts win rather than those looking to misuse the system for financial gain.”
A UK Government spokesman said: “The Government’s approach to secondary ticketing strikes the right balance between allowing fans to buy and resell tickets fairly, while cracking down on unacceptable behaviour in the market.
“We have introduced tough measures to crack down on ticket touting, including making it a criminal offence to use automated software to buy more tickets online than is allowed.
“We continue to work closely with industry on this and welcome providers introducing their own price-capping processes where appropriate.”
Paying through the nose is frustrating and unfair
KEIR STARMER SLAMS RIP-OFF RESALE WEBSITES