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UK government rejects ‘musician passports’ as stars attack ‘shameful’ touring deal

Minister says UK is not pursuing a touring waiver, as stars including Elton John and Sting say

musicians ‘shamefully failed’ by Brexit
Laura Snapes
Wed 20 Jan 2021 08.52 GMT
Extracted from
https://amp.theguardian.com/music/2021/jan/20/uk-government-rejects-musician-passports-as-
stars-attack-shameful-touring-deal

The UK government will not pursue a waiver scheme that would allow British musicians to tour the
EU without the need for visas, customs waivers and work permits for each individual member state.

The announcement comes as more than 100 artists including Sting, Bob Geldof and Elton John have

signed an open letter published in the Times on Wednesday, calling on the government to negotiate
paperwork-free travel for British musicians touring in Europe. The signatories say musicians have
been “shamefully failed” by the government’s Brexit deal with the EU.

Speaking at parliamentary questions on Tuesday, the digital and culture minister, Caroline
Dinenage, said “the door is open” for future negotiations between the UK and EU regarding touring
– in which both sides have blamed the other for rejecting their respective proposals – but that any
potential solution “wouldn’t be about a waiver but about facilitation”.

The Musicians’ Union (MU) has been lobbying for the creation of a “musicians’ passport” that
would last at least two years, cost nothing or very little, encompass all EU member states, prevent
any requirement for carnets or other permits, and cover road crew, technicians and other necessary
staff to facilitate touring. A change.org petition supporting the idea has reached 113,500 signatures.

Dinenage’s comments suggest the government is not pursuing the passport scheme despite
repeatedly stating it is acting in accordance with industry wishes. A spokesperson for the
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport declined repeat requests for clarification.

The deputy general secretary of the Musicians’ Union, Naomi Pohl, said: “We have always had
cross-party support for some form of exemption or special arrangement to facilitate musicians and
crew touring in the EU post-Brexit. It seems unlikely that the musicians’ passport we’ve lobbied for
will materialise at this stage but we are still keen to work with the UK government on a

supplementary agreement that could work for our members and the crew and organisations they
work with.”

A DCMS spokesperson said the government would look at whether it could work with EU member
states to find ways to make life easier for those working in the creative industries in their

respective countries.

At parliamentary questions, Dinenage reiterated the government’s claim that the EU rejected a
“tailored deal” that would have allowed musicians and support staff to tour the EU with ease, which

the EU has said was not fit for purpose. She said the EU made a proposal that would only have
covered “ad hoc” performances, which she said did not facilitate touring, and which did not include
technical and support staff.